14 Wednesday, November 4, 2020 Sports Maradona to undergo brain surgery: Doctor AFP yesterday, and he is looking difficulty retaining iron, leav- Buenos Aires forward to leaving. I would ing him prone to the condition. like him to stay one more day,” Maradona, who celebrat- Argentine football great Luque told reporters outside ed his 60th birthday last Fri- Diego Maradona will undergo the Ipensa clinic in La Plata, day, was admitted to hospital brain surgery for a blood clot south of Buenos Aires. on Monday. The doctor had in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, “He is anemic, a little de- ruled out any link to the coro- his doctor said. hydrated, we must correct this navirus pandemic, which is “I will operate on him. It’s and see that he continues to ravaging the South American a routine operation, he’s lu- improve,” said Luque. country, much of it still under cid,” said Leopoldo Luque. Fans of Argentine top-tier confinement. World Cup winner Mara- club Gimnasia, where Mara- Maradona, who has a his- dona, 60, was taken to hospi- dona is coach, flocked to the tory of drug and alcohol abuse tal on Monday for a series of clinic to leave messages of sup- and poor health, is considered tests after feeling unwell. port for the ailing icon. at high risk of coronavirus A scan revealed the blood “What he needs most is complications should he be clot, which Argentine media the support of the people,” infected. are speculating was the result Luque said. He has suffered two heart of a blow to the head. Normally, Maradona’s cur- attacks in the past and con- Earlier it was said that rent ailments would require he tracted hepatitis. Maradona “is much better and stay approximately three days Though he has recovered eager to leave” after being ad- in hospital, the doctor said. from a well-documented ad- mitted to hospital for medical “That’s my goal, but he has au- diction to hard drugs, Mara- checks. tonomy and can go.” dona takes medication in the The 60-year-old is suffer- When he does leave hos- form of tranquilizers and an- ing from anemia – a lack of pital, he will need long-term xiolytics. iron in his system – and de- outpatient care for anemia, “With a patient on medi- hydration, which had left him the doctor said, adding that cation, there are times when feeling “very weak, very tired,” because of a gastric bypass hospitalization serves to ad- Leopoldo Luque said. Maradona underwent in 2005 just that medication. That’s Flags depicting Argentine former football star and coach of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata Diego Maradona hang outside the Ipensa clinic where “He is much better than to lose 50 kilos, his body has good,” said the doctor. he has been admitted, in La Plata, Buenos Aires province, on Tuesday. (AFP)

UEFA Champions League Messi is not difficult to manage: Koeman AFP Barcelona face Dinamo Not the worst time to face PSG, Madrid Kiev on Wednesday in the Champions League, where Ronald Koeman has denied their strong start in Group G suggestions Lionel Messi is has brought some relief from difficult to manage, insisting their poor form in La Liga. says Leipzig boss Nagelsmann he has a good relationship Koeman’s side sit top of with Barcelona’s captain. the group after beating Ju- In an interview published ventus and Ferencvaros but in in El Pais on Sunday, former La Liga, they are 12th, having Mbappe suffers Barca coach Quique Setien not won any of their last four said he found it hard to handle games. hamstring injury Messi during his brief spell in “I understand the criti- charge last season. cism. Two points from the last AFP “There are players that four games is not good and it is Leipzig (Germany) aren’t easy to manage, and Leo normal for criticism to come. is one of them,” Setien said. “I I accept it and keep working can’t do anything if those at to improve things,” said Koe- Injury to Paris Saint-Ger- the club have accepted him for man. main stars Neymar and Kylian how he is and haven’t changed Koeman also said goal- Mbappe gives RB Leipzig a him for years.” keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen slight advantage for Wednes- But Koeman defended is in contention to return after day’s Champions League Messi when Setien’s com- recovering from a knee injury. group match in a repeat of last ments were put to him in a “He’s been training with season’s semi-final, says their press conference on Tuesday. us for almost a week. He looks coach . “Everyone has their opin- well,” said Koeman. “Of course it’s not a disad- ion and I respect that but I can Dinamo Kiev have taken vantage that Mbappe and Ney- only say that Messi is a very, only a point from their first mar won’t play – they are fan- very good player, the best in the two Champions League games tastic players – but PSG have world. I see his ambition, his and could be weakened at other very good players that character but he is not a player Camp Nou, after six players many teams in Europe would I have difficulty managing. tested positive for coronavirus like to have in their ranks,” “Every coach is different on Monday. Nagelsmann told a press con- but for me he is the captain “It influences their qual- ference on Tuesday. and I talk to him every week ity but we saw last week that “It’s definitely not the about things in the dressing Shakhtar (Donetsk) came with worst time to face them, but room and on the pitch and players out and they beat Real we also have several injured there is a good relationship. Madrid,” said Koeman. “We players.” Mbappe was been “I don’t agree (with Setien) can’t expect them to be im- ruled out of the Group H clash but I respect his opinion and pacted too much.” with a hamstring injury, while RB Leipzig’s German coach Julian Nagelsmann during the UEFA Champions league Group H match against Manchester last week. (AFP) what he has experienced.” PSG were already missing Bra- zil forward Neymar, who has a do without midfielders Lu- selves well for a place in the the group stage.” For Nagels- have but still has to rotate his thigh strain, and Mauro Icardi. kas Klostermann and Konrad knock-out stages in the group mann, that defeat in Manches- players in a coronavirus-relat- The match in Germany Laimer due to knee injuries. they started with a 2-0 win over ter was a learning experience ed congested fixtures list, while is a rematch of last season’s “After the defeat in Man- Turkish champions Basaksehir. just as the August loss against missing injured Germany de- Champions League semi-final chester, fatigue was noticeable “We learned certain les- PSG as Leipzig have only fender and when PSG won 3-0 in Lisbon - it’s hard to come home with- sons from the semi-finals,” played top flight football since . with Neymar and Mbappe in out a point, but that’s part of Nagelsmann told Sky TV on 2016 and are in only their third Leipzig midfielderC hris- their ranks. the job. Saturday. Champions League campaign. topher Nkunku is meanwhile Leipzig, who sit third in the “Defeats are hard to digest, “We also know that we are “We have to accept that upbeat that the Germans will group, are eager to bounce back we like to win, but we’ll prob- under pressure in the group Wednesday’s match will leave do better this time around from their 5-0 hammering at ably come out of them strong- stage. We have to win the an unfortunate page in the against star-studded PSG, the Manchester United last week. er if we learn the right lessons game to simply not have this RBL history books, but we club he left last year to get PSG are second in the section and learn them quickly.” mega-pressure in the return can’t forget the positives be- more playing time. but level on three points with leg against Paris, but rather to cause of that,” he said. “It is a chance for redemp- the club. Success is “not a door” put the pressure on their side. “Success isn’t a door. It’s a tion,” the 22-year-old told “With these two players but rather a “staircase” “If we don’t win that, we’ll stairway that you have to keep Monday’s edition of Kicker (Neymar and Mbappe), PSG DPA adds: Victory against be under pressure in the sec- on climbing.” Nagelsmann sports magazine. “We know would be a bit stronger, but PSG is now a must for Julian ond game to reach six points. doesn’t have the depth in his now how Paris play and it we also are missing players,” Nagelsmann and his players So one of the games is a must squad other top teams like PSG feels to be up against them on said Nagelsmann, who must if they want to position them- for us if we want to advance in or title holders Bayern Munich the pitch.”

Struggling Man Utd have leaders, insists Maguire Lionel Messi. Ronald Koeman.

AFP Paris Saint-Germain and a 5-0 ers prepare to fly to Turkey for have here with us,” said the Quick read London thumping of RB Leipzig al- Wednesday’s Group H match Norwegian boss. ready under their belts. against Istanbul Basaksehir. “We’ve got different jobs Twilight Payment wins Melbourne Cup Manchester United skip- Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Arse- “I can for sure say there are and Roy’s job is to give his marred by tragedy per Harry Maguire on Tuesday nal meant United had failed a lot of leaders in the squad,” opinion and I always listen rejected former captain Roy to win any of their opening said the England international. to Roy. MELBOURNE: Irish raider Twilight Payment won the coveted Aus$8.0 Keane’s assertion the team four top-flight games at Old “I am the captain and I’ve “But we move on here with million (US$5.5 million) Melbourne Cup on Tuesday in a race run lacks leadership and heart af- Trafford for the first time got a lot of leadership around a great group of players, strong without spectators and marred by the death of English Derby winner ter a terrible start to their Pre- since 1972/73. me as well, staff and players, group of players, and I’m sure Anthony Van Dyck. With Jye McNeil in the saddle, the eight-year-old mier League campaign. Keane, who is now a TV so, for sure, there’s a lot of we’ll see a response.” gelding held off a charging Tiger Moth and Prince of Arran in a thrilling Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side pundit, was scathing in his as- leaders in this squad.” Last week’s win against finish to the gruelling 3,200-metre (two mile) handicap, considered are languishing in 15th spot in sessment of his former club, Solskjaer was also asked last season’s semi-finalists the ultimate test of stamina and staying power. But Anthony Van Dyck, the table with just a single point saying he did not “see guys about Keane’s remarks but was a memorable Champions one of the pre-race favourites at Flemington, broke down with a leg from their four home games. you want to be in the trenches avoided criticising his players League debut for Maguire — injury and was later put down — the seventh Melbourne Cup horse to That is in sharp contrast with, guys you trust” and that or former team-mate. he missed the opening game perish on race day since 2013. McNeil, one of the rising stars of the to their form in the Champi- the team lacked leaders. “Roy has always been out- against PSG — who has had sport, triumphed in his maiden Melbourne Cup, which was held behind Manchester United’s English ons League, with a 2-1 win But Maguire rejected spoken and I’m very glad that a troubled season on and off closed doors for the first time because of the coronavirus pandemic. skipper Harry Maguire. against last season’s finalists those comments as the play- I’ve got the players that we the pitch.