Marco Reus will leave Dortmund next summer for major European club

Borussia Dortmund’s highly rated winger/forward Marco Reus is expected to leave the club next summer. He has refused to sign a new contract with the Bundesliga giants and has been targeted by all the major European clubs in the world including the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Reus has a contract till 2017 but he can leave the club next summer for only €25m. He is often linked with a move to German giants Bayern Munich that often gives an indication that the Bavarians could close the deal in future, similar to the way to signed Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski from Dortmund in recent years. 

However, German newspaper Bild has an exclusive report where they claim Bayern boss Pep Guardiola has told them that although he likes Reus as a player but the club has no intentions of signing him.

Bayern have an avalanche of attacking midfielders cum forwards and Pep doesn’t want to disrupt the balance by adding Reus to that list.

With Bayern possibly moving out of the race, it opens the door for other top clubs that includes the big Premier League clubs as well. His transfer will certainly be a headline grabber next summer, but judging by the report from Bild, it is an encouraging sign for Manchester United and Chelsea.

Liverpool take on West Ham in a thrilling Barclays Premier League

Liverpool take on West Ham in a thrilling Barclays Premier League encounter later today. Former Reds Stewart Downing and Andy Carroll are set to face their old club after the duo were told they do not have a future at Merseyside and were sold to West Ham.

Liverpool signed Andy Carroll for a club record fee of 35 million pounds from Newcastle after the departure of fan favorite Fernando Torres. Since his arrival Carroll struggled to fit in at Liverpool and was eventually shown the door by new manager Brendan Rodgers, who believed that the England forward was not mobile enough to suit his style of play.

Carroll’ West Ham team mate Stewart Downing suffered a similar fate as the former Aston Villa player of the year was sold for less than half of what was paid for him.

Since their departures from Liverpool, both players have done a good job in resurrecting their stagnating careers. Although Andy Carroll’ progress has been hampered by recurring injuries, the England forward has done well when fit. Meanwhile, Stewart Downing has been one of the best players in the league during the first half of the season and both players will look to dent Brendan Rodgers’champions league hopes when they return to Anfield today.

Speaking to the press before the game, Andy Carroll has lifted the lid on his conversation with Brendan Rodgers and claimed that he has lost all respect for the former Swansea manager.

‘With Brendan Rodgers there was a lot going on, with what he was saying to me and what was actually happening.

‘He’d say, “you’re going to play every week, you’re going to play every game with Suarez up front.” I’d leave and get home and he’d ring me and say, “Fulham and West Ham want you, I think it’s best you should go” when I’d just had a different conversation with him 10 minutes ago.

‘I’d go back to see him and he’d say the opposite again. It was the same thing, round and round’.

‘He was telling me one thing to my face and then ring me and tell me a different thing. He was messing with my head.

‘I thought, “I just want to play football. I don’t need this.” I lost respect for him to be honest and knew it was time to go’, said Carroll.

Man City are yet to win a game since Yaya Toure left for the African Cup of Nations

Chelsea may be without star men Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas against Manchester City on Saturday, but Manuel Pellegrini's side have been struggling with a loss of their own.

The Premier League champions are yet to win a game since Yaya Toure left for the African Cup of Nations earlier this month and they will have to do without him again at Stamford Bridge. 

With Toure in the side, City have won 14 of their 18 Premier League fixtures, losing one and drawing three of the four games the 31-year-old has missed.

Despite constant rumours of a move away from the Etihad, Toure remains a crucial part of City's midfield, often driving his team forward and scoring important goals - he already has nine for the season.

But with Toure's Ivory Coast through to the AFCON quarter-finals, there's little chance that the former Barcelona man will be back in action for City before mid-February should the Elephants continue to progress to the final.

Pellegrini will be hoping Toure and new signing Wilfried Bony return to England sooner rather than later with his side currently five points adrift of league leaders Chelsea..

Since the big midfielder left for Equatorial Guinea in early January, City have crashed out of the FA Cup after a 2-0 defeat against Middlesbrough and suffered defeat at the hands of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal. 

With Toure in the side, City's win ratio comes close to 80 per cent, with an average of 2.2 goals scored compared to an average of 1.8 when he's absent.

Pellegrini will know City can ill afford another slip up or Toure will come back to Manchester to find his side further behind in the title race.

Carrick ruled out for four weeks with amuscle rupture

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has been ruled out for around four weeks with amuscle rupture.

Carrick was injured during pre-season and missed the start of the campaign before returning for the Manchester derby, which saw United lose 1-0 to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on November 2.

The 33-year-old has played 14 times in total for Louis van Gaal’s side this season and the Dutchman confirmed the news in his press conference ahead of Saturday’s game with Leicester.

There was some positive news on winger Ashley Young though, who is making good progress after suffering a hamstring injury in the 1-1 draw at Stoke on New Year’s Day.

“Ashley Young is coming back, only now Michael Carrick has been injured, so he is out at the weekend,” van Gaal told the club’s official website.

“I think it shall take more than four weeks, so it is not a minor injury but a muscle rupture, I think.

"He is also the second captain but I have to say that’s part of the job of a manager, especially this season at Manchester United, because we have suffered a lot of injuries. 

"But now we have seen the light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, Michael Carrick can be important for the team but he is now injured, so he cannot be."

Costa will contest facing a three-match ban

Diego Costa will contest his violent conduct charge with the full backing of Chelsea as the Barclays Premier League leaders make a stand against what Jose Mourinho believes is an orchestrated campaign against his team.

Costa faces a three-match ban after referee Michael Oliver admitted he had not seen the incident when he appeared to stamp on Liverpool's Emre Can during Tuesday's Capital One Cup semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge and set the Football Association's disciplinary process in motion.

Chelsea's 17-goal top scorer had to respond before 6pm on Thursday to the charge and, as he has chosen to contest it, the case will be passed to an independent commission to decide on Friday.

The Blues insist that the incident was 'accidental' with Mourinho fiercely defending his star striker after the match.

The commission will look at video footage, the observations of the referee Oliver and consider written and video evidence on behalf of Costa, who will miss games against Manchester City, Aston Villa and Everton if found guilty.

It will be a surprise if he escapes punishment, but Costa, Mourinho and others at the club have been incensed by the charge and are determined to fight it.

Mourinho is in full siege mode ahead of the title clash with champions City at Stamford Bridge, on Saturday, claiming there is an anti-Chelsea agenda fuelled by Sky.

Chelsea have also cancelled the manager's usual eve-of-game press conference, which will prompt another letter from the Premier League to seek an explanation for breaking their rules on mandatory media duties.

From Chelsea's angle, this is a show of solidarity on a point of principle.

They may not win any friends and may not convince the disciplinary commission that is was an accidental stamp - but the club is standing firm in support of Costa because they feel the aggressive elements of his game have been unfairly high-lighted and scrutinised through the season.

These erupted during the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool, a game broadcast live on Sky Sports, with Sportsmail columnist Jamie Redknapp on duty in the analysis team.

Chelsea were not impressed to see 'Costa's Crimes' listed on Sky Sports, referring to flashpoints from the game.

Mourinho seems convinced Redknapp, a former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder, has it in for Chelsea, and that Sky, who also happen to pump millions into the sport, pushed the FA towards the charge by looping repeats of Costa's challenge on Can, and other clashes with Martin Skrtel and Steven Gerrard.

There are parallels to a storm which erupted in October 2005, after a tackle by Michael Essien on Didi Hamann during a Champions League game at the Bridge, which was not punished by the referee but later the subject of a two-match ban from UEFA.

Hamann claimed it was the worst tackle he'd suffered in his career, but Mourinho blamed Sky for UEFA's intervention because they replayed the footage so much and refused to do interviews with them for a while. Chelsea were without Essien for both legs of their tie against Barcelona and were beaten on aggregate.

It is not the first time Mourinho has mentioned the 'campaign'. He was fined £25,000 for public comments after a game at Southampton claiming officials were being influenced by it. He was also warned about comments made regarding the need for a 'strong referee' before a game at Stoke.

During last season, his first back in England, he was in trouble with the FA. He was fined £8,000 for going on the pitch during a stormy defeat at Aston Villa, when Ramires and Willian were sent off and was fined £10,000 for sarcastic remarks about referees' boss Mike Riley after a defeat at home to Sunderland during which his assistant Rui Faria was sent off and banned for six games.

Mourinho was also fined £8,000 after he was ordered from the touchline during a home win against Cardiff for an outburst about time-wasting by the visitors.

From Chelsea's angle, this is a show of solidarity on a point of principle.

They may not win any friends and may not convince the disciplinary commission that is was an accidental stamp - but the club is standing firm in support of Costa because they feel the aggressive elements of his game have been unfairly high-lighted and scrutinised through the season.

These erupted during the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool, a game broadcast live on Sky Sports, with Sportsmail columnist Jamie Redknapp on duty in the analysis team.

Chelsea were not impressed to see 'Costa's Crimes' listed on Sky Sports, referring to flashpoints from the game.

Mourinho seems convinced Redknapp, a former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder, has it in for Chelsea, and that Sky, who also happen to pump millions into the sport, pushed the FA towards the charge by looping repeats of Costa's challenge on Can, and other clashes with Martin Skrtel and Steven Gerrard.

Reds are planning a January transfer for Burnley striker Danny Ings

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is predicting Daniel Sturridge’s return to fitness will transform his side’s season - as the Anfield club set their sights on a move for Danny Ings.

England striker Sturridge last kicked a ball for Liverpool 152 days ago but, having recovered from a serious thigh problem, he will be included in the squad for Saturdays Barclays Premier League home clash with West Ham.

Rodgers has suffered without having a striker who can intensely press defenders, but Sturridge will give him that presence and Liverpool are looking to supplement that by moving for Burnley’s Ings.

Spurs and Real Sociedad are among a number of clubs to express an interest in 22-year-old Ings, who will be a free agent at the end of the current campaign, but Liverpool are looking to trump their rivals and secure a deal for him now.

If they are successful, Ings would be immediately loaned back to Burnley to help them in their fight to stay in the top flight before moving to Anfield in the summer, like Divock Origi, who is on loan back at Lille. Rodgers said there were ‘one or two things’ he would like to do if possible before the window closes but a more immediate concern is the return of Sturridge.

‘He will bring something really creative and quality to the team,’ said Rodgers.

‘Daniel not playing has had a huge impact. Over the last number of months we have nailed down a way of working and when Daniel is put in that it shines a different light on it.

‘He has been fast, dynamic, sharp. But we have to be careful. We can’t expect him to be the saving grace straight away.’

Sturridge spent three weeks over Christmas in Los Angeles and Boston, where he worked with specialists to bolster his left thigh muscle. The time away from Melwood gave him a sense of perspective.

‘It has been a learning curve,’ said Sturridge. ‘They have allowed me to learn something, (being on the sidelines) has been great for the mental side of the game.

‘I have improved that and now I am very, very anxious to get out there and play. I don’t know what people’s expectations are. I can only speak for my expectations, which are to work hard, score goals and create chances. If the team plays well it is enough for me.’

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Tunisia and Democratic Republic of Congo reached the quarter finals of the Africa Cup of Nations

Tunisia and Democratic Republic of Congo reached the quarter finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after they played out a 1-1 draw on Monday.

Group B rivals Cape Verde finished with the same three points and the same goal difference as DR Congo after a goalless draw against Zambia in treacherous conditions.

However, Cape Verde were eliminated by the slimmest of margins after scoring one less goal in the group stages.

Tunisia led through forward Ahmed Akaichi's first-half header but substitute Loteteka Bokila's 66th-minute equaliser was crucial for Congo as they squeezed through to the last eight through the tournament's tiebreaker rules.

DR Congo booked a showdown with near namesakes Congo without winning a game, while group winners Tunisia will face hosts Equatorial Guinea in Saturday's quarter-finals.

Zambia, who were the 2012 winners, finished last in Group B with two points and are eliminated early for a second successive tournament.

The match in Ebibeyin was played in a tropical downpour that made the game unplayable at times as giant puddles stopped the flow of the ball and risked injury to the players.

Both teams were forced to keep the ball off the ground for much of the second half in a game of few chances as the deluge fell increasingly harder but then suddenly abated with some 20 minutes left.

Garry Rodrigues, making his first start at the tournament for Cape Verde, went narrowly wide with two efforts in the first half while Zambia's Evans Kangwa botched a shot from close in 12 minutes from the end.

There was also a half chance in stoppage time for Mukuka Mulenga of Zambia but he, too, was off target.