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Klopp vows to maintain positive approach in Europe
By Tom Beck
Nov 7, 2015 09:07:06
The Anfield boss will says he will continue to field a strong side in European competition and suggested an intense schedule was good for players
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will continue to take a positive approach to his Europa League team selection and said he has no concerns over Premier League form ramifications.
Former boss Brendan Rodgers regularly named weakened sides for European ties to ensure his players remained at peak fitness, easing the pressure of playing on Thursdays and Sundays.
Klopp, in contrast, has vowed to continue fielding his strongest team following Thursday's 1-0 win over Rubin Kazan and claimed fatigue will not be a problem.
"If you play Champions League, you are playing Wednesday and Saturday," Klopp said.
"Nobody says 'okay, come on, go to Real Madrid with 17 year old guys!', that is not fair for them. They get experience but not the experience they should get.
"Where is the difference [with Thursday and Sunday]? Is the only benefit that you like the other tournament more?"
Klopp, who joined the Anfield club in October, said the players continue to come around to his preferred style but needs more time to stamp his mark on the team.
"We have to play. We cannot rest. That is our situation. This has been really good," he said.
"Four weeks, it's a short time we've been working together. Six games? That is not a big number and we have a common experience.
"We can work with this. The best training at the moment is our matches.
"It is very intensive. It is good for physical condition and it is good to talk about after games. It's much easier when we win."
Chelsea striker Diego Costa reported for 'assault’ by Stoke City steward after Jose Mourinho's side lose again
Diego Costa involved in further controversy after striker appears to step on steward during Chelsea's latest defeat
Beaten: Diego Costa drew a blank again for Chelsea Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Sam Wallace, Chief Football Writer
9:35PM GMT 07 Nov 2015
Jose Mourinho watched from his hotel room as Chelsea fell to their seventh league defeat of the season and another bad day ended with Diego Costa facing the prospect of being reported to the Football Association by a Stoke City steward who alleged that the striker had assaulted him.
With Mourinho banned from the touchline by the FA, his side lost to a second half goal from Marko Arnautovic, 11 days after Chelsea were eliminated on penalties from the Capital One Cup by Mark Hughes’ Stoke. It means that Chelsea have fallen to 16th in the league table and the future of their manager is once again in doubt as Premier League football take a break for the internationals.
There was no immediate reaction from the club on Mourinho’s future on Saturday night but the board will doubtless discuss the subject over the next day. They issued a statement giving their manager their “full support” after the defeat to Southampton on 3 Oct but since then Chelsea have won once in the league and lost their last three against West Ham, Liverpool and Stoke.
Diego Costa argues with Ryan Shawcross after the match
Costa was reported to the referee Anthony Taylor for an incident near the mouth of the tunnel where it was alleged, in the course of retrieving the ball, he stepped on the foot of a Stoke steward who was captured on television footage reacting angrily. Chelsea described the allegation of assault as “utter nonsense”. However, it has to go in the referee’s report which will be sent to the FA.
It is understood that the steward was asked by his line manager and fellow stewards to withdraw the claim but refused. But there were reports on Saturday night the clubs had resolved the issue.
The matter may still formally go to the FA but there are unlikely to be any repercussions for the Chelsea striker whose performance was poor again at the Britannia Stadium.
Chelsea first team assistant coaches Silvino Louro (left to right), Rui Faria and Steve Holland on the bench prior to the match
Neither Chelsea coach Steve Holland nor Rui Faria made themselves available for the post-match press conference. Speaking in the Sky Sports studio, Chelsea’s former midfielder Frank Lampard admitted that the situation had grown serious for his former club.
Lampard said: “I think it’s not a blip – it’s far from a blip now. Chelsea shouldn’t be where they are. They’re losing games regularly. They need to turn the corner quickly. Watching them there I saw glimpses of what they’re going to need to turn the corner. Brighter play, sharper, working harder. I couldn’t really fault the performance. They just didn’t get the bit of luck they needed to win the game. They need to now get results – simple as that.”
Lampard said that he did not believe that Mourinho’s absence had a material effect. “They [the players] would have wanted to win for themselves first and foremost and the club and the manager. I don’t think we can put it on Mourinho not being there. I think Stoke deserved to win the game. It think it was a close game and Chelsea could have got as result for sure.
The Stoke manager Mark Hughes said that his team had deserved to win the game and that Mourinho’s absence had an effect on Chelsea. “It's a rare occurrence when the opposition manager isn't standing there. I've not experienced it before. Most of your work is done at half-time. Sometimes you can affect it in the correct manner. It's dependent on the manager. A manager like Jose, yes they would have missed him. Giving him credit for his standing.”
Sam Allardyce thinks Sunderland need to stop playing "with fear" after suffering defeat at home to Southampton on Saturday.
Dusan Tadic's penalty was the only goal of the game at the Stadium of Light as Allardyce lost his third game in four since taking the helm.
The Sunderland boss believes overriding concerns over potential relegation are stopping them from picking up the results needed to escape from the bottom three.
"We are playing with fear and we need to get rid of that. In the end we have gifted it to Southampton," Allardyce told Sky Sports.
"When we play in the Stadium of Light we're not releasing ourselves like we can and playing with fear.
"We need to pass the ball better. Our passing in possession was poor and I think it's the fear of the position we are in.
"It could have been a point, it could have been a point at West Brom - that's two points.
"We have to do better and cut out the silly mistakes. At the moment we are not good enough."
The 61-year-old rued referee Mike Jones' decision not to award his side a penalty when Maya Yoshida blocked Jack Rodwell's header with his arm late in the match.
"In the end it's hinged on two decisions – definitely a penalty we gave away but Yoshida's handball inside the box wasn't given," Allardyce said.
"Irrespective of what's gone on in between - not playing as I would've liked and the players being disappointed with their performance - that decision means we might've overcome a disappointing end.
"Yoshida's definitely lifted his arm and it definitely hit him on the arm, whether Mike could see it from his position or not I don't know and maybe that's why he didn't give it, but it certainly looks like that could've got us an equaliser."
Former Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United players 'face ruin and losses of £100m’ in film investments
Rio Ferdinand, Martin Keown, Danny Murphy and Robbie Savage all understood to have lost millions after investing in film and property ventures
Money matters: Rio Ferdinand, the former Manchester United centre-back, is just one of many footballers to have lost money in the schemes, according to the report Photo: REX FEATURES
By Telegraph Sport
11:51PM GMT 07 Nov 2015
Some of the biggest names in British football face losses totalling an estimated £100 million, with some facing bankruptcy and ruin, as a result of investing in film schemes and property ventures, the Sunday Times has claimed.
Kevin Campbell says he is not bitter about losing £7m
Rio Ferdinand, the former England and Manchester United defender, Kevin Campbell, the former Arsenal, Everton and West Brom striker, Andy Cole, the former Manchester United forward and pundits Martin Keown, Danny Murphy and Robbie Savage are among more than 100 footballers to have invested via Kingsbridge Asset Management.
That firm is headed up by David McKee and Kevin McMenamin, who are alleged to have earned £5 million in commission from investments, many of which tanked or resulted in the players’ receiving tax demands from HM Revenue & Customs, which challenged the film schemes’ legality.
Martin Keown's lawyers are acting to protect his position
Cole has invested in three film schemes, while Campbell faces losing £7 million after investing in five film schemes and is understood to be involved in bankruptcy proceedings.
“When I see the paperwork it’s horrendous,” Campbell said. “I’m not one to be bitter, but £7 million is a lot of money.”
Murphy, the former Liverpool and England midfielder now a pundit for the BBC, said he “felt angry” and what he considered mis-selling of the investment products, a sentiment repeated by Craig Short, the former Blackburn Rovers captain.
Danny Murphy 'feels angry' and that he was mis-sold the investments
“These investments were for my children’s future,” Short said. “I reckon over 100 retired players have been hit by this. They feel duped, anger, humiliation, really. It’s wrong, totally wrong.”
Keown’s lawyers are understood to be taking action to protect his position.
Andy Cole has invested in three film schemes
Ferdinand has lost an estimated £2.3 million on property investments in Spain and Florida, and was the biggest investor in film schemes - but his advisers say he had limited personal exposure and is happy with his investments.
A spokesman for McKee and McMenamin issued a strong denial and said that “without exception” all the firm’s clients were always advised of the suitability and risks of the schemes and that they needed to be part of a balanced portfolio.
Garry Monk has received the backing of Norwich City manager Alex Neil, who questioned the rationale behind any potential axing of the Swansea City boss.
Monk had been touted as a future England manager following Swansea's four-match unbeaten run to start to the Premier League season, but the 36-year-old has overseen just one win in eight games after Saturday's 1-0 loss at Norwich.
Swansea languish in 14th position on 13 points, five points above the relegation zone.
However, Monk has the support of Neil, who said: "They'd be stupid to panic. If you look at them last year they got their highest ever points tally.
"What's changed between then and 12 games into this season?
"It's the same manager, he's probably not doing too much different, you just go through wee lulls and spells where it becomes tough, maybe people are out of form or you pick up a couple of injuries, there's a host of things.
"Maybe he needs to freshen it up a little bit, but Garry will be best placed to know exactly what he needs to do next. For me, if you got rid of Garry Monk or even thought about it it's a sad day in football.
"We're only 12 games into the season. I know a couple [of managers are] already gone but it just shows you what football's like."
Everton striker Romelu Lukaku is now worth £55 million, according to manager Roberto Martinez, after the Belgian earned his side a 1-1 draw at West Ham on Saturday.
Lukaku scored for the seventh time in the Premier League this season as Everton claimed a point at Upton Park.
The Belgian has been in fine form of late and was the subject of reports linking him with a move away last week.
However, Everton held on to John Stones despite considerable interest from Chelsea earlier this season and Martinez is keen to do the same with Lukaku.
Quizzed on an apparent price tag of £45m, Martinez told reporters: "After today, £55m!
"The real problem is when the chairman or owner of the club says we need to cash in on two or three players. That is not the situation at Everton.
"[Lukaku] wants to break records. He had in his eye Tony Cottee in 1993 being the last player to score 20 goals in a calendar year.
"He achieved that and he scored 21 and keeps going. He wants to improve and be the best in the world."
Lukaku's next opportunity to add to his tally for Everton will come at home to Aston Villa in the league on November 21, after Belgium's international friendlies against Italy and Spain.
Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool to maintain their concentration after the manager suffered the first defeat of his tenure against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Having seen Philippe Coutinho cancel out Yannick Bolasie's opener in the Premier League match at Anfield, Scott Dann's header eight minutes from time consigned the hosts to a 2-1 defeat.
Dann reacted quickest to head in a rebound following Simon Mignolet's save, but a number of missed chances forced the former Borussia Dortmund coach to contemplate a first defeat at the helm a month after being appointed.
"When Palace scored I saw many people leave. I felt very alone in this moment," he said. "But we have to make them want to stay.
"It's not the first time I've lost a game. We opened the door for Palace with our start.
"We defended the counter-attack well, but a corner has cost us. I'm satisfied with some moments but my problem is that we need to play 95 minutes.
"We have to learn that we decide how strong, tired, awake we are. I decide if I am tired, nobody else.
"Of course we can do more and if anyone thinks we can't, they're wrong."
Liverpool's disappointing outing was made worse by an injury that forced Mamadou Sakho off before half-time, the in-form defender landing awkwardly on his right knee following an aerial challenge.
"We don't want to speculate, but we have to wait for a scan," Klopp added.
Ruud Gullit feels opposing teams no longer fear Chelsea and has compared the ailing Premier League champions to golfing icon Tiger Woods.
Woods, a 14-time major winner, was widely regarded as the finest golfer to play the game for much of his career, but a massive slump in form has seen the American fall to number 362in the world rankings.
Chelsea have endured a nightmare start to the 2015-16 season, with their loss at Stoke City on Saturday their seventh in just 12 Premier League games this term.
Jose Mourinho's side sit 16th in the table - some 13 points off a top-four place - and the Portuguese's job is thought to be in danger.
Former Chelsea boss Gullit told Sky Sports: "Chelsea are like Tiger Woods.
"In the beginning everybody who was competing with Tiger Woods already knew that they had lost the game. Now people see him and Chelsea and think: 'We can beat them.'
"They lost that aura of invincibility. They lost it. You can feel it. You can sense it. The players also sense it that the opposition is not afraid of you anymore. You only get it back by getting results."
Gullit went on to offer his backing to the embattled Mourinho.
The Dutchman added: "In Holland there is a saying, Mourinho he has to drink the last drop of the cup of poison. To the last drop. If the last drop is done then things will change. I think he is the only one who can change it. He can change it.
"If he had said after the last game: 'I'm wrong. I didn't need to do that. I was emotional. You're right. I should have this punishment.' Then everyone would forgive him.
"In the past when the team won with Mourinho, it was Mourinho who won. When they lost, it was Mourinho who lost. All of a sudden this year, he was blaming the players. Now it was Mourinho who won and the players who lost. That was a bit of a difference I saw. He was criticising his players. Beforehand he always guarded his players. Protected them."
The Spain international insists the Blues' poor form does not reflect their level of play and reiterated he was not behind a dressing room revolt at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has admitted manager Jose Mourinho is as "p***ed off" at the players given the Blues' recent poor form.
Defeat to Stoke City on Saturday left the Premier League champions 16th in the table having lost seven of their opening 12 matches of the season.
And Fabregas, who was dropped to the bench for the visit to the Britannia Stadium, revealed the former Real Madrid boss is as frustrated as the playing squad with their run of results.
"Those of us who have been most criticised are [Eden] Hazard, Diego Costa and myself, but you get used to it," he told Radio COPE.
"We’re not doing well in the league at the moment. Last year we lost four games all season and this season we have lost seven already.
"But Mourinho is a winner, when he loses he goes home p***ed off like I do.
"The results at Chelsea aren’t what we would want and don’t reflect the level of our play.
"I feel good in myself, but when the results aren’t coming everything is negative and everything looks bad."
The Spain international also moved to reiterate that he was not behind the rumoured dressing room revolt at Stamford Bridge, with reports linking his name to a falling-out with Mourinho.
"Mourinho trusts us and we trust him. Obviously it is a lie. I backed him in a very difficult time.
"My relationship with Mourinho is good, as always, but when things aren’t going well people are always looking for something."
Depay: I've gained weight since joining Manchester United... but it’s all muscle
By Chris Davie
Nov 11, 2015 08:40:00
The 21-year-old admits he was surprised by his weight increase but insists he continues to work on his explosive speed and coordination
Memphis Depay has revealed that he is five kilograms heavier after joining Manchester United - but insists it is all muscle.
The 21-year-old has admitted to suffering a dip in form since his summer move to Old Trafford, while he has also hit back at suggestions from the Netherlands boss Danny Blind that he is not a team player.
Depay admits his change in weight did come as a surprise and says he is continuing to work on his explosive speed.
"Since I’ve played for Manchester United, I gained 5 kilos. And that's not fat! Just muscle. It's bizarre,” Depay told De Telegraaf.
“It also has to do with the heavy schedule in England. Now I weigh 85 kg. When I first stood on the scales I thought: 'OK, is this correct?' My body is still developing. Now I'm a little more heavy, so I have to work on that. I'm working a lot on my coordination and starting speed.
"I eat very well at home, it's all cooked for me. I have my own cook. People don't know what I have to do to be fit and be a part of the national team. The work I do, what I have to do in this profession."
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been named the Premier League Manager of the Month for October, while in-form Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy scoops the Player of the Month award.
The Gunners won all four of their league games last month, defeating Manchester United, Watford, Everton and Swansea City to move level with Manchester City at the top of the table.
Wenger feels the award is a nice reminder of how well Arsenal have been performing, particularly after their damaging 5-1 Champions League defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich last Wednesday.
"It is always good because it just reminds you that - especially after a defeat like we had on Wednesday night - we have not done too badly in the last month," he said.
"You worry as well about maintaining the run for coming months. That is what we want to do always.
"That [the 3-0 win over United] was the highlight because there are very few matches in your life where it all clicks perfectly in the first 20 minutes and that is one of the games."
Vardy, meanwhile, continued his brilliant goalscoring start to the season in October, netting five times in four matches to help Leicester to within one point of the leaders.
The England striker said: "It is an unbelievable achievement and it just shows how the club is doing as well as me.
"They are putting me into the positions to score the goals, so I am obviously delighted to get the award."
'Hazard and Costa form behind Chelsea slump,' says Zola
By Harry Sherlock
Nov 11, 2015 08:05:00
The Blues have endured a terrible start to the defence of their Premier League title, winning just three games in 2015-16 and the Italian has laid the blame at the feet of the duo
Gianfranco Zola insists that the poor form of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard is behind Chelsea’s current malaise.
The Blues have lost seven of their 12 Premier League games thus far this season to sit 16th in the Premier League.
Both Hazard and Costa have been forced to endure alarming dips in form in the early stages of the season, scoring just two league goals between them, and Zola believes the duo’s poor performances are a key reason for the club’s current form.
“There is one compelling reason for the poor start to the season,” Zola told reporters. “The poor form of key offensive players Eden Hazard and Diego Costa has not helped.
“Defensively as well the team has dropped the standards set last year so the players have lost confidence as a group and this has led to poor results. The club has it in them to turn around their fortunes.”
Zola spent seven years at Chelsea as a player and currently manages Al-Arabi.
The Arsenal boss says he has faced many teams whose players he suspects have used performance-enhancing drugs
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger fears that football could have a doping problem following the latest drugs scandal surrounding athletics.
In an interview with French newspaper L'Equipe, the coach claimed he has faced many sides who he suspects have used performance enhancing drugs to aid their players.
The Gunners were beaten 2-1 by Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League in September, with one of the Croatian side's star men, Arijan Ademi, later testing positive for a banned substance.
And Wenger fears his team could have fallen victim to drugs cheats on more than one occasion during his career.
"I try to be faithful to the values that I believe to be important in life and to pass them on to others,” Wenger told L’Equipe.
“In 30 years as a manager I’ve never had my players injected to make them better. I never gave them any product that would help enhance their performance.
"I’m proud of that. I’ve played against many teams that weren’t in that frame of mind.
“For me, the beauty of sport is that everyone wants to win, but there will only be one winner. We have reached an era in which we glorify the winner, without looking at the means or the method.
"And 10 years later we realise the guy was a cheat. And during that time, the one that came second suffered. He didn’t get recognition. And, with all that’s been said about them, they can be very unhappy.”
Wenger has also called on the game's powers to carry out more stringent tests to clamp down on drugs cheats.
"Honestly, I don’t think we do enough [on doping tests],” he said. “It is very difficult for me to believe that you have 740 players at the World Cup and you come out with zero problems.
"Mathematically, that happens every time. But statistically, even for social drugs, it looks like we would do better to go deeper.
“I hope England is immune from doping but I don’t know. When you have a doping control at Uefa [matches], they do not take blood, they take only urine.
"I have asked many times in Geneva [for that to be changed]. I hope we do not have a big problem with doping but we have to try to find out.”
The right-back has gone under the knife after suffering a foot injury in the 0-0 draw with Manchester City at Old Trafford two weeks ago
Manchester United defender Antonio Valencia has undergone an operation to cure a foot injury sustained in last month's Premier League clash with Manchester City.
The Ecuador international came off in the second half of the 0-0 draw at Old Trafford and missed the Capital One Cup defeat to Middlesbrough, as well as Saturday's league victory over West Brom.
Valencia had hoped to make swift recovery but the injury required surgery and Valencia posted a picture of himself in hospital after going under the knife on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old had an operation back in May on an ankle injury that ruled him out of his nation's Copa America campaign.
Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero poised to make his return from injury against Liverpool at Etihad Stadium
Argentina forward hoping to return in time for Jürgen Klopp’s side visit
Sergio Agüero, the Argentina forward, may return to City's line-up when Liverpoool visit Photo: REX FEATURES
By Mark Ogden, Northern Football Correspondent
5:51PM GMT 10 Nov 2015
Sergio Agüero is on course to end his seven-game injury lay-off by returning to action in Manchester City’s clash with Liverpool next week.
The Argentina forward, who aggravated a pre-existing hamstring injury while playing for his country against Ecuador last month, has missed City’s last seven games in all competitions.
Agüero was stretchered off during Argentina's game with Ecuador last month
But manager Manuel Pellegrini is now planning for the 27-year-old to be involved against Jürgen Klopp’s team after Agüero returned to first-team training on Tuesday for the first time since being injured.
With Ivory Coast forward Wilfried Bony facing time on the sidelines as a result of the hamstring injury sustained during Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Aston Villa, Pellegrini had looked set to take on Liverpool with just one fit striker – the Nigerian teenager Kelechi Iheanacho – available for selection.
But Agüero will be given the next week to prove his fitness by Pellegrini, who is prepared to err on the side of caution and hold the forward back for the Champions League trip to Juventus on Nov 25 should there be any concerns over his readiness to return.
Having been absent since scoring five goals during City’s 6-1 win against Newcastle at the Etihad on Oct 3, Agüero is understood to have been given extra time to overcome his injury in an effort to avoid further setbacks once he returns to action.
Premier League fantasy football website infected with malicious adverts
Visitors to popular fantasy football portal website could have been affected if they clicked on a fake yacht advert, researchers say
The Premier League's official fantasy football game is used by 3m people
By James Titcomb
10:54AM GMT 11 Nov 2015
The Premier League's official fantasy football website carried malicious advertising that could have been used to infect visitors' computers, researchers have claimed.
A flash-based advert purportedly for a yacht seller redirected to a website hosting a malicious tool that can exploit software vulnerabilities, security company Malwarebytes said.
Malwarebytes found the advert on fantasy.premierleague.com, the Premier League's official fantasy football game with more than 3m players.
The website carries many of the display adverts that are common across the web, but one illegitimate actor managed to infiltrate the site by disguising its destination.
If visitors clicked on the advert, titled they would be sent through to a landing page for a "Nuclear exploit kit", which uses exploits in Flash to detect vulnerabilities in a user's web browser or operating system. According to Heimdal Security, it can use "Flash, Silverlight, PDF, and Internet Explorer exploits to the possibility of launching advanced pieces of malware and ransomware".
Record money: Premier League broadcast rights are worth £3.018 billion Photo: PA
Most users will have been protected from any vulnerabilities if they had updated their software to the latest versions.
While the URLs of malicious sites are often blacklisted by advertising platforms, Malwarebytes said the fake advertisers disguised the final location by using Google's goo.gl URL shortener. Since these links belong to Google, they can't be blacklisted at the domain name level.
It was also distributed over HTTPS, an encrypted communication protocol, and the internet address of the provider that hosted the exploit kit was hidden with CloudFlare, a company that can hide addresses behind their own.
Malwarebytes said it had alerted Google about the URL and the Premier League about the advert. The Premier League has not yet responded to a request for comment.
The Premier League's fantasy football website had a malicious advert Photo: Malwarebytes
Evra: Manchester United never realised I was allergic to eggs!
Nov 12, 2015 19:36:00
The France international has explained that it was only after arriving in Turin that his condition was finally diagnosed
By Alex Young
Patrice Evra has revealed Juventus picked up on a food allergy that went undetected for the duration of his eight-year spell with Manchester United!
The Frenchman joined the Premier League side from Monaco in 2006 and enjoyed a glittering career at Old Trafford, winning five Premier League titles, three League Cups and a Champions League.
However, Evra has now disclosed that he experienced no end of physical discomfort during his time at United, relating to an ailment that was only diagnosed upon his arrival at Juventus last year.
"When I came here they said I'm allergic to eggs and I ate them every day in Manchester," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"I was vomiting in training at first. I went to the hospital and they told me I had been playing with an ulcer and I was lucky it was not bleeding inside."
Evra also revealed that not only has he learned more about his body, he's also developed a more in-depth understanding of the tactical side of the game since switching to Serie A.
"I have learned a lot about football - how to be more professional, even if I was professional in Manchester," the France full-back added.
"Here in Italy, it is more like a chess game - you have to think about every move."
The attacking midfielder faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up an injury during the clash with Everton, while Alex Song has made a return to the team
West Ham have confirmed that attacking midfielder Dimitri Payet will not play again until February, as they wait to learn the full extent of his ankle injury.
The former Marseille man sustained the during Saturday's 1-1 Premier League draw at Everton, with the Frenchman being taking off five minutes into the second half.
And the club have confirmed that the 28-year-old will be out for some time, but they are still waiting to find out exactly how serious it is.
"Dimitri had a scan on Sunday and we saw the specialist at a central London hospital on Monday," said West Ham's head of medical and sports science Stijn Vandenbroucke on the club's official website.
"He is scheduled to see the specialist again next Monday and I will be able to give more detail regarding Dimitri’s medical condition following this second meeting, which will decide whether or not he needs to undergo an operation.
"It is a fact that he will be out until February, whether he has an operation or not."
Vandenbroucke added that Enner Valencia will have an ankle injury of his own assessed next Monday, while fellow forward Diafra Sakho is on course to face Tottenham after the international break if he does not suffer any further setbacks with a thigh problem.
Meanwhile, Alex Song stepped up his recovery from an ankle injury by playing in the side's 1-0 friendly win over Crystal Palace.
The on-loan Barcelona midfielder is yet to feature in his second consecutive temporary spell with the Upton Park club as a result of the long-term problem.
But the 28-year-old played 70 minutes in Wednesday's behind-closed-doors game.
The young defender has been taken to hospital but coach Pierre Mankowski says it is too early to say if he has ruptured ligaments
Aston Villa have been dealt a blow after defender Jordan Amavi suffered a serious-looking knee injury while on international duty with France U21s.
The 21-year-old went down clutching his knee and screaming in pain after 70 minutes of France’s 1-0 win over Northern Ireland in a Euro 2017 qualifier.
Amavi was stretchered off and taken to hospital with coach Pierre Mankowski admitting after the game he was unsure as to the extent of the damage.
“Our doctor and that of Guingamp are travelling with him,” he told reporters.
“The first information that we have available is that it is a knee sprain. We don't know yet if the ligaments are ruptured. It's too soon to say that.”
Amavi has made 12 appearances for Aston Villa this season and was part of the side that held Premier League leaders Manchester City to a 0-0 draw at Villa Park on Sunday.
REVEALED: Victor Valdes' latest humiliation as January exit looms
Nov 12, 2015 16:30:00
The Spanish goalkeeper's spell at Manchester United has hit a new low with the threat of disciplinary measures if he mingles with his former first-team colleagues
By Kris Voakes
Victor Valdes' Manchester United nightmare has reached a new nadir, with Louis van Gaal threatening to fine the Spanish goalkeeper if he arrives at the club's Carrington training base before the first team have left.
Valdes has not played for the club since falling out with the manager in the summer, with the Dutchman forcing the 33-year-old to train with apprentices after claiming he had refused to play in the Under-21 side during the closing stages of the 2014-15 season.
But while Valdes has diligently continued to work as asked by Van Gaal there has been no olive branch offered, and he has now been warned to stay away from the Aon Training Complex when the first-team squad is still on site. A breach of this new directive will result in Valdes receiving a fine.
Such a move means he is now excluded from any interaction with his former first-team colleagues on the club's premises.
The 2010 World Cup winner has been the subject of much transfer speculation since Van Gaal said he was no longer wanted at Old Trafford, yet even the promise that United would not demand a fee for him has not helped to move the situation on.
Valdes arrived at the club on a free transfer in January 2015 having recovered from the cruciate ligament injury which brought an early end to his Barcelona career, but has played only 106 minutes of senior football since then.
The Spaniard has been linked with moves to Newcastle and Liverpool since being ostracised by Van Gaal, but has remained vocal on social media about his desire to keep his head down and follow orders at United throughout his time in exile.
