Roma
Seydou Doumbia is set to be handed his debut for Roma although fellow striker and countryman Gervinho could be left on the sidelines by coach Rudi Garcia for Sunday’s home game against Parma.
Both Doumbia and Gervinho helped Ivory Coast secure their first African Cup of Nations title since 1992 following a penalty shootout with Ghana in last Sunday’s final, but it is the former who could line up at the Stadio Olimpico. Gervinho’s return to the Italian capital was delayed by a bereavement in the family, according to reports. Despite flu-hit Francesco Totti joining a growing absentee list, Garcia hinted Doumbia could make his first appearance following his recent signing from CSKA Moscow. “No one is indispensable,” said Garcia when asked whether Gervinho would make his return to action for Roma.
Inter Milan
Roberto Mancini said Italy’s Serie A needs to attract more international stars to help restore its former glories – and the Inter Milan manager is still hopeful of starting the ball rolling by signing Yaya Toure in the close season. Mancini has targeted Toure, who was one of his key charges at Manchester City, as the player to kick start Inter’s revival next season following their recent struggles. Mancini said the once most star-studded in world football was a shadow of its 1980s and ’90s heyday. “Serie A needs great players ... However, it has become very difficult to convince them to come to Italy as of late. I hope we will be able to do so with Yaya. Serie A needs players like Yaya so that it can go back to being one of the best leagues, if not the best, like it was 15, 20 years ago. I know it won’t be easy to convince him. His signing would be important for us and for the entire league.”
Paris Saint-Germain
PSG were hit by a quadruple injury blow ahead of their Uefa Champions League clash against Chelsea this week after Yohan Cabaye, Marquinhos, Lucas and Serge Aurier were all forced off in a 2-2 draw against Caen. With 10 minutes to play, Lucas was the last of the four to leave the pitch and it proved crucial for the title holders, who finished the game with nine men as they had already used all their substitutes before Aurier and Lucas were injured. PSG then conceded two late goals. With Javier Pastore also struggling to be fit, manager Laurent Blanc faces an anxious wait ahead of the last-16, first leg clash at the Parc des Princes.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich claimed the biggest Bundesliga win for 30 years to warm up for their Champions League away match to Shakhtar Donetsk with an 8-0 thrashing of Hamburg. Arjen Robben, Thomas Mueller and Mario Goetze all netted twice as Bayern ran riot at Munich’s Allianz Arena before Tuesday’s last-16, first-leg clash against Shakhtar in Lviv. Just over two years after their 9-2 drubbing at Munich’s Allianz Arena, Hamburg were again made to suffer having also been drubbed 3-1, 5-0 and 6-0 on their past four visits to Bavaria. Elsewhere, having gone 3-0 up away, Wolfsburg survived a spirited fightback to win 5-4 at Bayer Leverkusen, for whom Son Heung-min scored a hat-trick, while Bas Dost claimed four goals for the visitors. With Wolfsburg 3-0 up, the match exploded in 10 frantic second-half minutes as Son claimed a hat-trick to make it 4-3 with 67 minutes gone just after Dost had also hit his third. Germany winger Karim Bellarai then put Leverkusen level at 4-4 at the BayArena before Dost grabbed the 94th-minute winner.
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