Sports FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2016 44 Pogba poised for 2nd Man United debut

MANCHESTER: Four years after he left through the back door, Manchester United will roll out the red carpet for Paul Pogba’s second debut in today’s Premier League home game with Southampton. Pogba first donned a United first-team shirt when he came on as a half-time substitute for Ryan Giggs in a 3-0 League Cup win over Leeds United in front of 31,031 peo- ple at Elland Road in September 2011. His return to action for the club will not be so inauspicious, after United paid Juventus a world-record 89 million pounds (105 million euros, $116 million) to bring the French midfield- er back to Old Trafford. Pogba has not played since France’s 1- 0 loss to Portugal in the Euro 2016 final, but he told the Manchester Evening News: “You have to ask the manager, but I feel very good and have been training for 10 days. “I am quite used to this. I played the World Cup two years ago when at Juve and three years ago I was at the Under-20s World Cup as well. “So I am OK. It is about your body and I have been training on my holidays.” Pogba, 23, missed United’s 3-1 win at Bournemouth last Sunday due to a suspension carried over from last season’s Coppa Italia, but his lack of match fitness meant he was unlikely to have featured anyway. Should he play from the start, United manager Jose Mourinho must decide where he is going to play. Mourinho has started the season with a 4-2-3-1 formation and Pogba is expected to take up one of the mid- field berths in front of the back four. Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera occupied those roles at Bournemouth. Much has changed since Pogba’s last United appearance, in a 5-0 league win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers in March 2012. Alex Ferguson retired as manager the following year and Mourinho is the third man to have succeeded him, while former stalwarts such as Giggs, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra are no longer around.

Puel warning BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi holds the Spanish Supercup trophy after winning the second But Mourinho’s new-look team made an assured start to leg of the Spanish Supercup football match between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona their league campaign at Bournemouth, with new signings on August 17, 2016. — AFP Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Eric Bailly impressing, the former scor- ing his first Premier League goal. Victory over Southampton, in the first of 10 Friday night games in the Premier League this The challengers to Barca season, will enable United to provisionally go three points clear at the top of the table. Southampton won 1-0 on both their most recent visits to Old Trafford, with Charlie Austin’s and Real Madrid in La Liga 87th-minute header securing victory last January, but they are also a team in transition. — AFP BARCELONA: Ahead of the start of the who was sacked from relegated Getafe Wissam Ben Yedder, recruited from 2016/17 La Liga season today, take a in April. Marcelino’s discontent surfaced Toulouse, can be the solution in attack. look at the five most prominent chal- from a frustrating transfer window as Roma hold against lengers to champions Barcelona and key players Eric Bailly and Denis Suarez Valencia (12th) European champions Real Madrid (last joining Manchester United and A miserable campaign that saw three Porto, Monaco season’s final position in brackets): Barcelona respectively. Striker Roberto coaches take charge at the Mestalla, Soldado will also be missing for six including an awful four-month period win at Villarreal Atletico Madrid (third) months due to a cruciate knee ligament for former Manchester United captain The undoubted third force of Spanish injury, so even just making it back into Gary Neville, has led to no European PARIS: Ten-man Roma held on to draw 1-1 at Porto in the football missed out on the title by just Europe via the top six looks a big ask for football and a firesale from Singaporean first leg of their Champions League play-off on three points last season and, having Escriba. Meanwhile, Villarreal face a owner Peter Lim. Andre Gomes joined Wednesday, while Bernardo Silva gave Monaco a 2-1 vic- firmly established themselves as a potentially season-defining Champions Barcelona and could be joined by goal- tory over Villarreal in Spain. Luciano Spalletti’s Roma are European power with a second League play-off against Monaco right at keeper Diego Alves and striker Paco looking to reach the group stages for the third time in a Champions League final appearance in the start of the campaign. Alcacer on the road north to the Camp row, and they took a 21st-minute lead at the Estadio three years, have finally survived a sum- Nou. Influential Germany defender Dragao when Porto defender Felipe put through his own mer without having to sell one of their Sevilla (seventh) Shkodran Mustafi is a target for multiple net. But the momentum swung four minutes before half- top players. The flair of Argentine inter- A third consecutive Europa League Premier League clubs, whilst Sofiane time when Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen, making national Nicolas Gaitan and goals of win and direct passage to the Feghouli and Alvaro Negredo have his debut following a loan move from Barcelona, was sent Kevin Gameiro-signed from Benfica and Champions League wasn’t enough to already headed to England. The signing off for a second yellow card. Sevilla respectively-offer more options prevent another summer of upheaval at of Nani fresh from winning Euro 2016 The hosts still struggled to break their Italian oppo- to coach Diego Simeone in attack, but the Sanchez Pizjuan. Coach Unai Emery with Portugal has been the only positive nents down, but were awarded a penalty when Emerson much will still depend on France’s Euro left for Paris Saint-Germain and took star note of what seems to set to be another handled in the area. Striker Andre Silva, 20, smashed the 2016 top scorer Antoine Griezmann’s Polish midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak season of struggle for the six-time spot-kick home to draw Porto level, but Roma held on to eye for goal. Should an exciting crop of with him to the French capital. Top scor- Spanish champions, coached by Pako a draw to leave the 2004 champions with plenty to do in young players, including Jose Maria er Gameiro headed to Atletico, whilst Ayestaran. the second leg next Tuesday at the Stadio Olimpico. Gimenez, Saul Niguez and Angel Correa, Ever Banega and captain Coke also exit- Monaco took control of their clash with Villarreal, as they also continue to develop, Atletico have ed. Former Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli is Athletic Bilbao (fifth) looked to bounce back from losing at this stage to the strength in depth to make it a three- the new man in charge, although even Perpetually burdened by their Valencia a year ago. way title race once again. he flirted with jumping ship just weeks Basque-only player policy, Ernesto Brazilian full-back Fabinho put the Ligue 1 side ahead into his new post when the temptation Valverde’s Athletic haven’t recruited at with a third-minute penalty, only for Alexandre Pato to Villarreal (fourth) of taking over his native Argentina was all in the window, but do have a good equalize nine minutes before half-time on his Villarreal Having clawed their way back from offered. Early signs from European and blend of exciting young talent and old debut. Portuguese winger Silva came off the bench at the relegation to the Champions League Spanish Super Cup defeats to Real and heads to make them a contender for the weekend to score the equaliser in Monaco’s Ligue 1 open- play-offs in just four years, Villarreal Barca are that despite signing an array top four. Blighted by injury last season, ing draw with Guingamp, and he restored their advantage have endured a nightmare close-season of talented midfielders, revered sporting 22-year-old striker Inaki Williams looks at El Madrigal on Wednesday. Leonardo Jardim’s away with coach Marcelino sacked just over a director Monchi hasn’t found the set to take La Liga by storm. Strike part- side closed out the victory despite having Benjamin week before the start of the campaign replacement for Gameiro that will score ner Aritz Aduriz, though, will have a Mendy sent off late on. — AFP due to disagreements with the board. the goals to guarantee a return to the tough time recreating the 36-goal cam- He has been replaced by Fran Escriba, top four. He will hope Frenchman paign of his life last season at 35. — AFP