Bournemouth: David McGoldrick may return

David McGoldrick and Darren Ambrose could return for Ipswich's crunch Sky Bet Championship promotion clash with Bournemouth at Portman Road on Good Friday.

The pair have returned to training, with McGoldrick overcoming a thigh problem and Ambrose recovering from a hamstring injury.
However, Jonny Parr is struggling with a hamstring injury and Kevin Bru suffered a sore calf in Ipswich's 1-0 win at Watford last time out.
Both will be assessed ahead of the game, with sixth-placed Town looking to close down the Championship leaders.
Bournemouth could hand Kenwyne Jones a debut following his arrival from Cardiff.
The 30-year-old former Sunderland and Stoke striker has made the loan move to the south coast until the end of the season and could come straight into the starting line-up with Callum Wilson a major doubt.
Wilson, who has scored 19 times this season, suffered an injury against Middlesbrough and has not trained since so looks very unlikely to return to action against the Tractor Boys.
Matt Ritchie made his international debut for Scotland during the break and is set to start against Ipswich having returned unscathed.

Transfer: Yaya Tore Price Tag is too Expensive

The Serie A side remain keen on the midfielder but are concerned his price tag and wages will price them out of a possible deal.

Inter general director Marco Fassone has admitted Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure is the club’s “dream” summer signing but says the Serie A side may struggle to afford a deal for the Ivorian.

Manager Roberto Mancini has already urged Inter to sign the 31-year-old, with the Italian keen to link up again with the midfielder he coached during his time at the Eithad Stadium.

Toure’s City contract still has two years left to run but speculation over his future at the club has been rife this season and Fassone says he would improve the Nerazzurri.

“Who doesn’t dream of having a player like him?” Fassone told Tuttosport.

“Touré would give our midfield line something that we are lacking. But his wages and City’s asking price might be a big obstacle.”

Fassone also revealed that Inter are keen to keep their top players at San Siro, not least Mauro Icardi who has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League.

“We are almost there with respect to Icardi’s contract extension,” he added. “We want to keep him just as we want to keep [Mateo] Kovacic. We will evaluate with great care [their] eventual offers.

“[Samir] Handanovic’s renewal is an issue that we must resolve at once. We need to understand what he wants. We cannot go into next season knowing that our goalkeeper’s contract expires.

Liverpool: Raheem Sterling is staying and not going anywhere

Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling will not be leaving the club in the summer despite a breakdown in talks over a new deal, says manager Brendan Rodgers. The 20-year-old told BBC Sport he is motivated by trophies not money after rejecting a £100,000-a-week contract.
"Liverpool are one of the superpowers of football and if the owners don't want to sell, they don't have to," said Rodgers.
Sterling has two years left on a contract worth £35,000 a week.
Rodgers added: "Concentration should be on his football. If his ambition is to win trophies that's aligned with what we do here."
The Liverpool boss added that the club had not given him permission to speak to BBC Sport and that he thought it was a "mistake" to carry out the interview.
"There was no permission from us," he said. "He will learn. We all make mistakes in life, especially when we are young.
"I think the kid has tried to put off all talk about contract and money. For now hopefully the focus will be on football."

Sterling, who joined the Reds from QPR in 2010, says he will not discuss a new contract with the Reds until the summer.
"I just want to take the time to think about what I've achieved in my career so far, where I need to go and what I need to do to get better as a player," he said.
Newspaper reports have linked him with moves to Manchester City,  Arsenal,   Real Madrid  and Bayern Munich. 
But Rodgers said that he and Sterling were "relaxed about the situation".
"This is one of the great clubs of the footballing world and, for Raheem, to be playing here it's an honour," added Rodgers. "He understands that, he sees that."
Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson, who won five league titles and a European Cup with the club, said Sterling is not yet good enough for the top clubs in Europe.
"He's 20 and not going to Real Madrid or Barcelona or Paris St-Germain," Lawrenson told BBC Sport. "He's not at that level and he has a lot of work to do."

Racism affects job chances QPR manager Chris Ramsey

QPR boss Chris Ramsey: Being black harms job prospects

QPR boss Chris Ramsey says being black will make it more difficult to find work should he leave Loftus Road.

Ramsey, 52, is in charge of the Premier League side until the end of the season after stepping up from a coaching role when Harry Redknapp quit.
Ramsey spent seven months out of work after leaving Tottenham in June before joining QPR in October.
He says "any manager of any race" struggles to find work but it is more difficult "as a black man".
"The problems of managers coming straight back into jobs are still going to be there. So it's two separate issues really. I don't think it will be solely based on my ethnicity," Ramsey added.
"Because I am sitting here I am not going to change my view of many years.

Black managers in English football
There are currently six managers from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds employed by English football's 92 league clubs: Chris Ramsey (QPR), Chris Powell (Huddersfield), Chris Hughton (Brighton), Fabio Liverani (Leyton Orient), Keith Curle (Carlisle) and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Burton).

"The fact that we are still at this stage of the game, highlighting that I am the only black Premier League manager shows that it is not the norm to have people from ethnic minorities in this position.
"Until this becomes normal, and it is not highlighted in such spectacular fashion, that racism will be evident."
Former England and Liverpool winger John Barnes said this week that "very few black managers" can get a new job after being sacked.
Last month, Les Ferdinand, director of football at QPR, said "covert racism"  denies black managers the chance to be interviewed and called for a Rooney Rule-style law to be introduced to help give them that opportunity.

What is the Rooney Rule?
Introduced into American football in 2002, the Rooney Rule mandates that teams interview at least one BME candidate when a head coach or general manager position becomes available.
You can download a podcast of Richard Conway's look at the history and impact of the Rooney Rule, and whether it could work in UK football here.

"The Rooney Rule is an important factor as there is an awareness that something needs to be done to affect the way people think in boardrooms," added Ramsey.
"I am not just talking about race. I am talking about gender, homophobia and many other issues - general equal opportunities.
"Maybe there needs to be more awareness in the game of different factors that affect why people get jobs or not."

I'm a better playing for Bayern than Dortmund - Lewandowski

The Poland star hasn't scored at the same rate as he did at Borussia Dortmund but says he is a better player ahead of facing his former club

Robert Lewandowski believes he has improved as a player since swapping Borussia Dortmund
for Bayern Munich last summer.
The Poland international ran his contract down at Signal Iduna Park and signed for the club's arch-rivals upon the expiration of his deal.
However, Lewandowski has been criticised for a return of 13 goals in 24 league games, but insists his all-round game is actually far better now.
"No striker nowadays can just stand inside the penalty area and wait to score goals," he told Bayern's official website.
"I've been at Bayern for about six months and I'm now better at my art; every day I train with great players.
"Of course you can always play better and score more goals but I'm a player who thinks of the team.
"At Dortmund the defence would play long balls for me to chase but here the decisive criteria is possession."
Lewandowski will come up against his former club Dortmund on Saturday with 29 points separating leaders Bayern and BVB, who are down in 10th, and the 26-year-old is relishing facing old colleagues.
"I had four beautiful and successful years in Dortmund and I still have very good contact with some former team-mates," the Pole added.
"But this does not mean that I won't go there and give everything to take three points."

Chelsea’s title? Five reasons why the Premier League race isn't over yet

Chelsea established themselves as Premier League favourites with their summer acquisitions, hit the front by winning their first four games and have led the way ever since. Is there any way back for their rivals? Adam Bate looks at the reasons why Jose Mourinho’s men still have work left to do…

Perhaps it will require a sighting of Jean Van de Velde riding the ghost of Devon Loch around Stamford Bridge to convince anyone that Chelsea could possibly throw away the Premier League title this season.
However, with Arsenal and Manchester United joining Manchester City in the race for second, there are still three teams clinging on to slim hopes of catching the long-time leaders and the door has been left ajar just enough for fans of those teams to dare to dream.

From the reasons for Chelsea’s unlikely dip in form to the unexpected hot streaks enjoyed by the Gunners and United, here are five reasons why – for now – there is some life left in this title race…
Faltering form
The familiar claim that it’s not easy to turn form on and off ought to be a concern for Chelsea supporters as it’s already cost them a tilt at the Champions League trophy this season. Mourinho’s side have arguably failed to perform anywhere near to their best since defeating Swansea at the Liberty Stadium in mid-January.
Since winning on Boxing Day, Chelsea have picked up 22 points from 11 games – respectable enough but if that continues over the next seven games then Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United would each be mathematically capable of taking this race down to the final day.

Chelsea managed to beat Hull but have not been at their best for a while

Home hiccups
Surprisingly, where Chelsea’s wobble has been most evident is at home. Mourinho’s record at Stamford Bridge remains remarkable but chinks have been appearing of late amid the understandable atmosphere of expectancy. The Blues have won two of their last seven home games in all competitions and that includes an extra-time triumph over Liverpool in a game that was goalless after 90 minutes.
Burnley and Southampton have both held Chelsea in recent weeks and with Manchester United and Liverpool still to visit Stamford Bridge, their record in front of their own fans will be tested to the full before the season is out.

Burnley are one of a host of teams to get something at Stamford Bridge

League Cup lull?
Although Manchester City used their Capital One Cup triumph over Sunderland last season as a catalyst for title success, the three previous winners of the competition all experienced the sort of slump in form that could prove problematic for 2015’s Wembley winners Chelsea.
Swansea’s points haul was 0.55 per game lower after their 2013 win, Liverpool managed 0.56 points per game fewer in 2012 and Birmingham’s dipped 0.40 points the year before. Any of those drop offs following the mental and physical exertions of their cup victory would potentially be enough to put Chelsea within catching distance of their rivals.

Could the Capital One Cup celebrations take their toll on Chelsea?

Signs of tiredness
Whatever the outcome, most would surely agree we’ve already seen Chelsea’s 2014/15 peak. The swaggering side that went unbeaten in all competitions until December is looking tired and that seems logical given that Mourinho opted against major rotation in those early months of the campaign in order to build up momentum and with it a healthy lead. But are they now feeling the effects?
Of the 10 outfield players to have played the most minutes among top four teams, six are at Chelsea. Curiously, none of them are at Man City and while continuity at Chelsea has been a key strength, it might be that they haven’t paced themselves to peak in the final months of the season.

Eden Hazard has stressed the need for Chelsea to keep on winning

Others on the rise
Although Chelsea could ordinarily hope to benefit from their European exit, the unusual situation this season means that none of the chasing pack have overseas commitments either. As a result, at least one of the teams below them could well put a run together.
City showed their ability to do just that with their winning streak at the back end of last season, while there are ominous indications that United could be clicking into top gear having won their last four. Arsenal do have FA Cup commitments but have won their last six Premier League games and with Chelsea still to visit the Emirates Stadium, they might yet fancy their chances of capitalising on any slip ups.

Manchester United and Arsenal are now the form teams in the Premier League

Conclusion
Ultimately, of course, the reason why Devon Loch’s Grand National collapse and Van de Velde’s Open Championship meltdown have entered folklore is precisely because these moments are so rare in sport. The Sky Bet odds make Chelsea 1/12  to lift the title for the fifth time in their history.
That reflects not only their lead but also the fact that they’ve been the Premier League’s best team this season – unbeaten at home, top scorers away and with a better defensive record than their rivals. Catchable? In theory. But Mourinho’s men will be looking to slam the window of opportunity shut sooner rather than later - starting with the visit of Stoke City on Saturday Night Football.

Arsene Wenger defends Theo Walcott's England display and backs Arsenal man to come good

Walcott started alongside Harry Kane against Italy but was replaced shortly after half-time after struggling to make any headway in a congested area of the pitch.
That was as much down to England's collective display as Walcott's personal one, according to Wenger, who believes the 26-year-old is still finding his way back to form following serious injury.
 
"Theo's strength is the quality of his movements," said Wenger, who admitted he was concerned the Italy game could knock the player's confidence. "He wants to go to get on the end of things, he is not a guy who provides.
"It was a complicated game for the England strikers because Italy defended with three centre-backs, two players in front of the two centre-backs and England played all in there so there was no room, no space.
"Maybe Wayne Rooney took the initiative during the game to play higher up and tell Theo to drop back. I haven't seen Roy Hodgson in the game standing up to say 'Walcott, you come and play in midfield and Rooney you go up front'. That is an initiative they took on the pitch."
Walcott returned from cruciate damage in November only to suffer a secondary injury that sidelined him for almost two months more.
He has started just three Premier League games in 2015, and his current lack of action is often discussed against the backdrop of looming contract talks.
"People have a harsh judgement on him that is not deserved," Wenger said. "For me, he is on course to come back, but he is not completely there.
"Theo needs patience, he is at the moment not in his best mood. He is not a fragile type. He has big confidence in himself and he has gone through some difficult periods in his life and he has always come out with strength."
It remains to be seen if Walcott will get the chance to prove his manager right against Liverpool on Saturday, but Wenger said: "I think he is strong enough. I will see what state of mind he is in."