Soccer Extras: Man Utd boss rules out Pogba sale

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Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has ruled out selling midfielder Paul Pogba in January and denied media reports that the club are in talks with Salzburg striker Erling Haaland over a possible transfer.

France international Pogba has made six appearances for United this season and none since Sept. 30 due to an ankle injury.

He has returned to training after an illness and Solskjaer is hoping the 26-year-old will be back in action before the end of the year.

"No, (Pogba) is not getting sold in January," the Norwegian told a news conference on Friday.

"I hope (he can play again this year). Let's see how he feels. I'm not going to push him ... we need him to be 100% fit. I can't risk any setbacks.

"Paul has been fantastic when he has played for us. We know we've got one of the best players in the world ... He needs time to get fit, but he will make a difference for us."

United have been linked with a January move for Solskjaer's 19-year-old compatriot Haaland, who has scored 24 goals in 20 league and Champions League appearances for Austrian side Salzburg this season.

The speculation intensified on Friday after media reports that Haaland, who played under Solskjaer when he was in charge of Norwegian club Molde, was on a flight to Manchester but the United boss gave short shrift to the idea.

"I don't think he's en route here, to be fair," Solskjaer said.

"I know the boy and I know his friends and he's on a Christmas holiday. You can't fly anywhere from Stavanger (in Norway).

"I can't comment on other teams' players. I've said that many times and that's just one of those things that in this job you get. So much speculation all the time."

Solskjaer did admit, however, that United, who are sixth in the table ahead of Sunday's against basement-side Watford, are in the market for January reinforcements.

"We are hopeful of signing someone," he said.

"You always hope but it's not nailed on. It has to be the right player, right age, going to fit into this squad and for the right value so we're always looking."

ISL: Chennaiyin beat Blasters 3-1 in 'Southern derby'

Chennaiyin FC defeated Kerala Blasters FC 3-1 in an Indian Super League encounter in Chennai on Friday to secure its second win of the 2019-'20 season.

The home team rode on goals by Andre Schembri (4th minute), L.Z.Chhangte (30th minute) and Nerijus Valskis (40th) to secure victory after two straight draws.

Bartholomew Ogbeche with a strike in the 15th minute had equalised for the Kerala team.

The result sees Chennaiyin leapfrog Blasters into the eighth position while the visitors stretched their winless run to eight matches.

I-League: Punjab FC ride on stoppage time penalty to steal a point at Aizawl

Punjab FC rode on an injury time penalty goal to play out a thrilling 3-3 draw against Aizawl FC in their I-League match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium Aizawl on Friday.

Sergio Barboza scored from the spot in virtually the final kick of the match (90+6) to break the hearts of Aizawl fans. He had also scored in the 15th minute after Makan Winkle Chothe found the target in the 5th minute for the visiting side.    

Jonathan Lalrawngbawla gave Aizawl the lead in the fourth minute while Rochharzela scored twice -- in the 18th and 40th minutes.

The draw takes Punjab FC to second place on the I-League table, while Aizawl FC remain at sixth.

FIFA may be open to 'cross-border' leagues: Infantino

FIFA could drop its long-standing opposition to cross-border leagues, as it looks to help countries who are struggling to compete with the giants of the game, president Gianni Infantino said on Friday.

FIFA has always opposed attempts to create multinational leagues, saying that the basis of the game was the national competition.

Infantino's predecessor Sepp Blatter was strongly opposed to such plans and European governing body UEFA has also blocked such initiatives and looked to its own competitions as a way of providing extra competition and revenue for clubs.

Yet faced with the commercial power of the big leagues, such as England's Premier League, Spain's La Liga and Germany's Bundesliga, Infantino says that the idea of new structures should be considered.

"We need to be open to discussions. The Belgians and the Dutch have been discussing creating a Benelux league and these discussions have been going on for 20 years and we are always saying no, because we are based on national leagues," he told reporters.

"But maybe it helps? Maybe it is the only way out, maybe in Europe they have to think about this, maybe in Africa. I was proposing something like this for Africa. I think we have the duty to study these things then we will see where it goes."

In the early 2000s a plan was drawn up for an 'Atlantic League' featuring clubs from the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal and Scotland, with some Scandinavian countries but was rejected by UEFA.

There have also been suggestions of a Czech-Slovak league, a Balkan league and a 'Habsburg League' in Central and Eastern Europe.

Currently clubs in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are in exploratory talks about a possible 'All-Island League', while Scottish pair Rangers and Celtic have often talked about joining the English Premier League.

Fuelling such talk has been the fact that clubs from smaller leagues have increasingly struggled to reach the group stages, let alone the knockout phases, of the Champions League.

Although FIFA allowed an exemption for Major League Soccer, which includes clubs from the United States and Canada, it has taken a hard-line stance on all other such attempts.

In 2013, a plan emerged for Russian clubs to break away and resurrect the old Soviet competition with a multinational structure but Blatter's FIFA firmly rejected the plan.

In comments which will raise eyebrows at UEFA and the Premier League, Infantino, who has already introduced a new 24-team Club World Cup to start in 2021, said FIFA had a duty to look at how less financially successful clubs and nations could compete.

"The Premier League is the most successful competition and congratulations to the Premier League because they created a fantastic competition and a great product as well. Obviously, they want to remain the top for the next hundred years as well," he said.

"And the others, they want to become the top. So can we do something to make the others better without taking away anything from those who are at the top and...(who) have a lot of merit for how football has developed in the world today?

"It's not about bringing anyone down. It's rather about bringing those who are today down a little bit further (up) and we are willing to discuss with everyone about everything. And then we will see."