Jayden Bogle doesn’t expect a calm affair when Leeds play Manchester United (Picture: Getty Images) Manchester United face Leeds at Croke Park on Wednesday and the Red Devils have been told that it will not be the friendliest friendly. The rivalry between the two clubs goes back decades and has been one of the most heated in English football. On the field it has been one-sided in Manchester United’s favour for a long time, but Leeds did pick up a memorable win at Old Trafford last season. After a 1-1 draw at Elland Road in January, Leeds won the reverse fixture 2-1 in April, with Noah Okafor scoring both goals for the Yorkshire side. Get the latest transfer news every morning Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season. Jayden Bogle started in that victory for Leeds and he is looking forward to a very competitive pre-season contest in Dublin this week. Asked if anyone can truly call this fixture a friendly, he told LUTV: ‘No, you can’t. ‘Even though it is pre-season, it is not going to be a friendly. We will recover now and then prepare for that one next.’ Leeds have won friendlies this summer against RB Leipzig, Liverpool and Sunderland (Picture: Getty Images) Red Devils boss Michael Carrick was not looking to spice things up so much, just saying he is looking forward to a trip to Ireland. It has been a typically globe-trotting pre-season for United, having played inHelsinki, Trondheim, Solna and Goteborg already this summer and with fixtures in Ireland and Wroclaw in Poland, against AC Milan, to come. ‘I’m looking forward to it,’ Carrick said of the Ireland trip. ‘It’s been, a little bit, different chapters through pre-season and we’ll get everybody together, when we get to Dublin over the next couple of days. ‘It’ll be great, two more games this week and, again, I’m looking forward to seeing the group develop.’ Man Utd drew with PSG on Saturday (Picture: Getty Images) The Red Devils’ last two friendlies have been encouraging, with a win over Atletico Madrid and a 1-1 draw against European champions PSG. Marcus Rashford has joined up with the rest of the Manchester United squad in Ireland, as his reintegration at the club continues. The England winger has been handed a new squad number – 14 – and could feature against Leeds on Wednesday. Marcus Rashford is back after a season on loan at Barcelona (Picture: Getty Images) Michael Carrick has already confirmed that Rashford will be part of the squad for their final two pre-season friendlies, saying: ‘We have a full squad next week in Dublin. ‘We fly straight there and meet Leeds on Wednesday. We have a few days in Dublin where we have the whole squad, including Marcus, Kobbie [Mainoo] and Lisandro [Martinez]. ‘I’ve played with him [Rashford]. I played in the game he made his debut, so we have a history.’ Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Mikel Arteta is aiming for back-to-back Premier League titles with Arsenal (Picture: Getty Images) Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez is expecting ‘great things’ from the Blues this year, as they are able to focus on the Premier League without European distractions. It was a disappointing campaign last time round at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea finishing 10th in the Premier League and missing out on any kind of European football for this season. However, Sanchez is looking on the bright side of the situation and sees the positives that will come in their league campaign as a result. The Blues have brought in Xabi Alonso as manager and Sanchez reckons his compatriot will have Chelsea riding high in the Premier League in the near future. Get the latest transfer news every morning Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season. ‘I think this year is a positive,” he said. “It can be a good thing that we do not have a European tournament, because we can focus on the league. ‘It is good for us as a team and as a squad because we get that time, one game a week, and I have a feeling we can do great things this year. ‘We have a new manager, and we are still trying to understand his game plan, what he wants from us. The most important thing [in pre-season] is everyone is getting minutes and putting in a good effort. The boys have done that. Robert Sanchez has high hopes for Chelsea under Xabi Alonso (Picture: REUTERS) ‘He [Alonso] is not rushing anything. He is checking every game, every area we are doing, and we are slowly integrating new things. Day by day, we are learning more, and we are hopefully getting better game by game.’ Sanchez has come in for criticism during his time at Chelsea, but he looks set to be first choice in goal again this season. The former Brighton stopper says the new manager has filled him with confidence ahead of the new campaign. ‘I feel amazing,’ he said. ‘Xabi has given me all the confidence in the world. Sanchez in pre-season action for Chelsea against AC Milan in Jakarta (Picture: AP Photo) ‘He is allowing me to perform. I know what he wants me to do. He understands the strengths of every individual. He understands my strengths. He is going to allow me to do what I am best at this season. ‘He has brought a different attitude, a lot of calm, into the squad. He is a really calm person. He brings that as a player because he used to play. I like his idea of football. ‘I don’t want to talk too much about it, but I like what he brings to the club and the staff. Everyone that has come is brilliant as well. I have a good feeling.’ Chelsea’s pre-season preparations continued on Sunday with a 3-3 draw with Malaysian side Johor Darul Ta’zim, which saw Liam Delap score twice from the penalty spot. The Blues beat AC Milan 3-0 in a friendly on Saturday, so Alonso named an entirely different team against the Malaysian side. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Chelsea are close to finalising a deal with Rayo Vallecano for 28-year-old Spanish left-back Pep Chavarria, who has agreed personal terms with the Premier League side. Chelsea are eyeing a move for 26-year-old Porto and Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who was previously linked with Manchester United and has a 60m euro (£51m) release clause.
YOUR VIEWS: Our community is furious with Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in Fifa’s tournaments to private investors, with many warning the sport is being sold out from under the fans who built it
Our community is furious with Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in Fifa’s tournaments to private investors, with many warning the sport is being sold out from under the fans who built it
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