Goal preview the continent’s stars expected to feature for their respective clubs around the world this weekend.
Preview of Africans in Europe
Achraf Hakimi’s Inter Milan lost at Sampdoria in midweek, but it didn’t prove costly due to AC Milan’s defeat by Juventus hours later.
Be that as it may, the Nerazzurri’s opponents this weekend will pose serious questions for Antonio Conte and his troops.
Partey & Pepe
While Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang may get a rest this weekend, Thomas Partey should make his first Arsenal appearance since that ill-fated North London Derby defeat by Tottenham Hotspur when the Gunners host Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Nicolas Pepe may also be selected in Mikel Arteta’s XI as the North London side seek to avoid instant elimination from the sport's oldest club competition in their title defence.
Arsenal are suddenly in-form after torrid autumn and they’ll hope to win their fourth game on the trot in all competitions to continue their encouraging run of results.
Boly & Saiss vs Zaha & Ayew
The aforementioned quartet could all play in some capacity when Wolverhampton Wanderers host Crystal Palace in the FA Cup third-round encounter at Molineux.
Willy Boly and Romain Saiss might be selected by Nuno Espirito Santo from the off, while Roy Hodgson could resist the temptation to rest Wilfried Zaha and Jordan Ayew in the West Midlands.
This season’s competition will have no replays, so both managers may select full-strength sides as they hope for a deep cup run.
Youssef En-Nesyri
Sevilla could move level on points with fourth-placed Real Sociedad this weekend if they beat the Basque side at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium on Saturday.
En-Nesyri will feel he’s due a start for Julen Lopetegui’s team having been a substitute in their last league game at Real Betis and in their Copa del Rey win vs Linares on Tuesday.
The Andalusian outfit are unbeaten in La Liga since that 1-0 loss vs Real Madrid and will back themselves to beat a Sociedad team that’s lost three of their last five matches in La Liga.
Achraf Hakimi
Inter Milan’s eight-game winning run in Serie A was unexpectedly halted by Sampdoria on Wednesday, but AC Milan’s 3-1 defeat vs Juventus later in the day meant the Rossoneri didn’t extend their lead at the top.
While Hakimi and his teammates will, in hindsight, rue not taking advantage of their chance to go top, the one-point deficit isn’t the end of the world either.
However, the Nerazzurri face a Roma side threatening to move level on points with them if they fall to another defeat at San Siro on Sunday afternoon.
The Giallorossi have won three on the spin — and four of their last five — in the league and goals are likely guaranteed in this match involving two of the division’s effective sides in front of goal.
Kessie vs Singo
Frank Kessie and his AC Milan teammates were on the receiving end of a 3-1 defeat by Juventus in midweek, which ended their 27-game unbeaten run in the top flight.
The Ivory Coast midfielder and his colleagues will look to respond immediately when they welcome a Torino side in celebratory mood after extending their unbeaten run to four games.
Wilfried Singo is likely to continue at right wing-back as the side from Turin look to follow in Juve’s footsteps by beating Stefano Pioli’s team.
- Thomas Partey resumes full training for Arsenal after muscle injury
- Cluj recall Ghana's Carl Davordzie from FC Gloria loan
- Bayern Munich bid for 16-year-old Ghanaian Jonah Kusi-Asare
- Baba Rahman scores in back-to-back games for PAOK
- 'Injured' Mohammed Kudus in town, unavailable for Namibia friendly - Report
- Read all related articles