'He Has the DNA': Amad Backs Carrick for Man Utd Top Job

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester United - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - January 25, 2026 Manchester United's Amad Diallo celebrates after the match with Manchester United manager Michael Carrick. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester United - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - January 25, 2026 Manchester United's Amad Diallo celebrates after the match with Manchester United manager Michael Carrick. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
TT

'He Has the DNA': Amad Backs Carrick for Man Utd Top Job

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester United - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - January 25, 2026 Manchester United's Amad Diallo celebrates after the match with Manchester United manager Michael Carrick. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester United - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - January 25, 2026 Manchester United's Amad Diallo celebrates after the match with Manchester United manager Michael Carrick. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Manchester United's interim manager Michael Carrick is the right man to take charge of the Premier League club on a permanent basis, winger Amad Diallo said.

Since taking charge following Ruben Amorim's dismissal in January, Carrick has guided the club to seven wins in 10 matches, with just one defeat.

Under the former United and England midfielder, the Old Trafford club appear poised for a return to ⁠the Champions League ⁠next season and are third in the Premier League with seven games remaining in their campaign.

"From a personal view he's the right man. He has a lot of experience, he knows the club and ⁠has the DNA. His relationship with every player is very good," Ivory Coast international Amad told reporters on Tuesday.

"Sometimes this kind of manager can bring the club where they belong. It's not the players who decide but my honest opinion is we're really happy to have Michael Carrick as a manager."

Forward Bryan Mbeumo, signed from Brentford ⁠last ⁠year, echoed those sentiments, saying United's players had had a "good experience" working with Carrick, Reuters reported.

"He knows how to talk to us and we're going to try to take as much as we can from him. It's been easier because he knows the place. It's been great to work under him," he added.

Manchester United next host Leeds United in a league game on April 13.



Report: France’s Ekitike Out of World Cup with Ruptured Achilles

 Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike lies injured during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)
Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike lies injured during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)
TT

Report: France’s Ekitike Out of World Cup with Ruptured Achilles

 Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike lies injured during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)
Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike lies injured during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP)

France forward Hugo Ekitike suffered a ruptured Achilles during Liverpool's Champions League clash against Paris St Germain on Tuesday and will miss the World Cup, French newspapers Le Parisien ‌and L'Equipe ‌reported on Wednesday.

The ‌23-year-old ⁠pointed to his ⁠Achilles tendon as medical staff attended to him before he was carried off on a stretcher at Anfield, ⁠where Liverpool lost ‌2-0 ‌in their quarter-final second leg, ‌exiting the competition with ‌a 4-0 aggregate defeat.

The French football federation (FFF) was not immediately available for ‌comment.

Ekitike has 17 goals in all competitions this ⁠season ⁠since Liverpool signed him from Eintracht Frankfurt for 69 million pounds ($93.58 million) in July.

The World Cup is being held in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11-July 19.


Asia Cup Draw Set for May 9 in Saudi Arabia

A landmark is lit up in the colors of the national flag in Diriyah on the occasion of Saudi National Day. (SPA file)
A landmark is lit up in the colors of the national flag in Diriyah on the occasion of Saudi National Day. (SPA file)
TT

Asia Cup Draw Set for May 9 in Saudi Arabia

A landmark is lit up in the colors of the national flag in Diriyah on the occasion of Saudi National Day. (SPA file)
A landmark is lit up in the colors of the national flag in Diriyah on the occasion of Saudi National Day. (SPA file)

The draw for the 2027 Asian Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia next month, Asian football officials said on Wednesday, after being postponed when the Middle East war broke out.

The draw was supposed to take place on April 11 in Riyadh, but the event was moved "to ensure the full participation of all key stakeholders and participating member associations", the Asian Football Confederation said.

It will now be held on May 9 at the historic At-Turaif District in Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Kuala Lumpur-based federation said.

The 19th edition of the Asian Cup is scheduled to take place from January 7 to February 5 next year, and 23 out of 24 participating nations have been confirmed.

The final berth is to be decided with a Group B tie between Lebanon and Yemen rescheduled to June 4, the AFC said.

Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar are the host cities.

The 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four.


Arsenal Faces Pivotal Week with Key Games in the Champions League and Premier League

 Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta arrives to take a team training session at London Colney, north of London, on April 14, 2026, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League, quarter-final, second leg football match against Sporting Lisbon. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta arrives to take a team training session at London Colney, north of London, on April 14, 2026, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League, quarter-final, second leg football match against Sporting Lisbon. (AFP)
TT

Arsenal Faces Pivotal Week with Key Games in the Champions League and Premier League

 Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta arrives to take a team training session at London Colney, north of London, on April 14, 2026, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League, quarter-final, second leg football match against Sporting Lisbon. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta arrives to take a team training session at London Colney, north of London, on April 14, 2026, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League, quarter-final, second leg football match against Sporting Lisbon. (AFP)

A crucial week for Arsenal starts Wednesday night against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Mikel Arteta's team faces two huge games in its pursuit of a Premier League and Champions League double this season.

Leading 1-0 against Lisbon after the first leg in Portugal last week, Arsenal is closing in on a place in the semi-finals for the second successive year. Then on Sunday it faces Manchester City in a top two showdown in the Premier League.

Arteta said there was “zero fear” ahead of a potentially pivotal few days.

“We are in April, we have an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Let’s confront it, let’s go for it by really putting absolutely everything into it,” he said.

Arsenal's form has slumped in recent weeks — losing the English League Cup final against City and then being dumped out of the FA Cup by second division Southampton. Last weekend it was beaten at home in the league by Bournemouth, allowing City to close the gap at the top of the standings to six points with a game in hand.

For now, the focus is on the Champions League, a trophy Arsenal has never won.

“I said to the players, ‘guys, we are trying to do something that hasn’t been done in the history of the club in 140 years. So that tells you the difficulty of what you are doing,’” Arteta said.

Declan Rice faced a late fitness test after missing practice on Tuesday. Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber were also doubtful starters.

Arsenal or Lisbon will face Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals after the Spanish club beat Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate.