The Brazilian’s Liverpool switch meant he will not be between the posts when Roma take on Juve, although a European date is still a possibility

Alisson is disappointed he has missed out on the chance of playing against Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo in Serie A but hopes new club Liverpool face the Ballon d’Or holder in the Champions League this term.

Ronaldo moved to Juve nine days before Alisson finalised his own transfer, leaving Serie A and Roma in a deal which could eventually cost Liverpool £67 million ($87m).

Juve’s signing of Ronaldo has been described as a major coup for both the club and Italian football, particularly given the Portugal international’s significant contribution to Real Madrid’s Champions League-winning campaign last term.

Although Alisson – who turned 26 on Tuesday – secured himself a big move and a step up, he concedes he would have liked to face Ronaldo in Serie A due to his admiration for the former Manchester United star.

When asked whether Ronaldo made Juve favourites, Alisson told Gazzetta dello Sport: “In Europe, many teams can win.

“Football always surprises you, who would have predicted Roma in the semi-finals last year?

“Juve was already very strong and then took Ronaldo. I’m sorry not to challenge him in the league, maybe it will happen in the Champions League.

“I am admired by the winning mentality of Ronaldo, as well as by talent.”

A former Reds icon believes a star of the current side will etch his name into Anfield folklore if he can help the club to land major silverware

Mohamed Salah remains a class act in the eyes of Liverpool legend Kevin Keegan, with the Egyptian being backed to secure a similar standing to Kenny Dalglish at Anfield.

A stunning debut campaign on Merseyside for the 26-year-old forward delivered 44 goals across all competitions.

Those efforts landed Salah the Premier League’s Golden Boot, the PFA Player of the Year award and a nomination for the FIFA Best prize.

He has been back on target this season, but is still waiting on a first trophy with Liverpool as the Reds seek to end a barren run on the silverware front which stretches back to 2012.

Keegan believes Salah will become an iconic figure if he is able to snap that sequence, with there every reason to believe that he can one day stand alongside the likes of Dalglish.

The former Reds star told talkSPORT: “The only way you can get to that stage, if you like, is you have got to win things.

“You can’t get to be like Kenny, who came after me and replaced me – I think they saved about 50 grand in the transfer deal. Kenny was a bit cheaper than me amazingly.

“But Kenny is remembered there for the teams he played in and obviously for the other things he done at the club.

“But you can’t become really in the fabric of the club unless your team is successful. You’ve got to put honours like European cups or league titles in there as well.

“And yes I think he can, is the answer to your question because Liverpool are in with a chance of winning the league this year.”

Salah’s exploits last season have seen expectations rise around him, with his form having faced questions this term after netting just three times in 10 appearances.

Keegan feels any criticism of a talismanic presence is overly harsh, with there no doubt that a proven performer will deliver over the course of an entire campaign.

He added: “This guy deserves to be given a bit of a run in the first team.

“I mean, he didn’t single-handedly get them up there last year but he was the main reason – make no mistake about that.

“[Sadio] Mane, the other players, [Philippe] Coutinho when he was there, they played parts don’t get me wrong. But Salah was the one who made the difference.

“So you’ve got to be patient with players like that, make sure you keep them on board. If you start to leave him out, that will not make him play any better.

“I think they have got to just play him through it and he deserves that right. I wouldn’t leave him out, ever.

“You know it is only a matter of time – form is temporary, class is permanent and he is definitely a class player.”

Having secured exemption from military service by captaining South Korea to Asian Games glory, the Tottenham star has confessed he was nervous

Tottenham forward Son Heung-min has admitted to suffering from sleep deprivation prior to captaining South Korea to the Asian Games title.

Victory in extra time over Japan saw Son and the entire Korean squad earn exemption from 21 months of military service.

Son missed Spurs’ Premier League games against Manchester United and Watford as a result of South Korea’s success but feels he made the right decision competing in Indonesia.

“Honestly, in the final I was a little bit nervous,” Son told BBC Sport. 

“At night I couldn’t sleep, I was very nervous.

“It was a gamble, but I was confident.

“I was very proud to win this tournament for my country.”

Success for South Korea followed an eventful World Cup campaign in Russia which despite suffering a group stage exit included a win over defending champions Germany.

All South Korean men must complete just under two years of military service but exemptions are offered to athletes who achieve major sporting success.

Olympic gold medallists can earn immunity from call-ups, while South Korea’s entire World Cup 2002 squad won exemption after they reached the semi-finals.

Son could have been called up in the next 18 months had South Korea failed to win the Asian Games.

Attempts to avoid being called up had been thwarted by former clubs Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen, who refused to release him for the tournaments in 2010 and 2014.

Tottenham refused to stand in Son’s way despite his exploits at the summer’s World Cup, a decision the forward is grateful for.

“My managers at Hamburg and Leverkusen didn’t let me go,” he said earlier this month. 

“So I’m really thankful to the gaffer. He took the risk. I made it, but without him and without his choice, I couldn’t have won gold. I’m thinking of a present for him!

“I’m looking forward to playing for Spurs. I felt sorry [to go]. It’s my team. I’ve played for three years with my heart and missed four weeks of this season.”

After three matches without a victory, the Portuguese has suggested that certain members of his team could do with showing more desire

Jose Mourinho has appeared to take a swipe at his Manchester United players, suggesting that some are not as bothered about the club’s recent struggles than others.

The Red Devils have slipped to the middle of the Premier League standings after seven games played, with a 3-1 loss at West Ham at the weekend the latest result to go against the Portuguese.

In the aftermath of that defeat, critics suggested that certain players – notably Paul Pogba – could be giving more to the cause.

And Mourinho, without mentioning any specific names, has insisted there are certain members of his squad that don’t care as much about their plight than others: “Some care more than others.

“Every player is different, no player is the same. I see different actions but what you see is not really inside.

“I see upset people, some people that don’t look like they lost a game.

“I see so-so but in the little two sessions of training we had [since Saturday] everything was normal, the desire to work and play.”

The former Real Madrid boss also believes it is the responsibility of everyone at the club to transform their poor recent results.

“The performance on the pitch, in my opinion, is the consequence of many factors. Luke Shaw said the players have to give more, and I like that perspective but I don’t agree totally.

“Everyone in the club has a role to play. The kit man, the nutritionist, when we win, we all win, when we lose, we all lose.

“Until someone tells me they were a dishonest player, I will always believe that the players are honest and want to give their best.”

With his future up in the air, he refused to be drawn on speculation that either he has held showdown talks with chairman Ed Woodward or called Zinedine Zidane, with the former Real Madrid boss linked with his job.

“Did I talk to Ed Woodward? That’s a private matter, I’m not asking who you spoke to yesterday. That’s a private matter,” he said, equally rebutting the suggestion that he has had a conversation with the France 1998 World Cup winner.

“Ask the guy behind you, he wrote the story!” he said, replying to the journalist who posed the question about Zidane.

Mourinho confirmed that he will be four players down for the midweek Champions League match against Valencia, with Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera, Jesse Lingard and Ashley Young all missing out.

Roberto Mancini has recalled Toronto FC Sebastian Giovinco to the Azzurri squad after opting to leave out Nice striker Mario Balotelli

Sebastian Giovinco has won his first Italy call-up for three years, but Mario Balotelli has been left out of the latest squad.

Toronto striker Giovinco, who has 23 senior caps, has not featured in international football since October 2015, when he was a substitute in a 2-1 win over Norway in Euro 2016 qualifying.

The 31-year-old is joined in coach Roberto Mancini’s latest squad by Sampdoria’s Gianluca Caprari, who is called up for the first time, while Marco Verratti, Alessandro Florenzi, Patrick Cutrone and Danilo D’Ambrosio return.

Nice striker Balotelli has been omitted after a difficult start to the season in Ligue 1, as has Torino forward Andrea Belotti.

Italy face Ukraine in a friendly in Genoa on October 10, before they travel to face Poland in a Nations League match four days later.

Italy squad:

Alessio Cragno (Cagliari), Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan), Mattia Perin (Juventus), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino); Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Cristiano Biraghi (Fiorentina), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Danilo D’Ambrosio (Inter), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Alessio Romagnoli (AC Milan); Nicolo Barella (Cagliari), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Giacomo Bonaventura (AC Milan), Roberto Gagliardini (Inter), Jorginho (Chelsea), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain); Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Gianluca Caprari (Sampdoria), Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina), Patrick Cutrone (AC Milan), Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Simone Zaza (Torino).

Ashley Williams is expected to resume his captaincy duties against Spain but Ryan Giggs backed Gareth Bale as a future skipper.

Wales and Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has been tipped to become a future captain of the country by manager Ryan Giggs.

Bale wore the captain’s armband for the first time in Wales’ Nations League defeat against Denmark after Ashley Williams was rested last month.

Williams, 34, is expected to resume his captaincy duties when Wales face Spain next week but Giggs has backed Bale to skipper the nation.

“Going forward, definitely,” Giggs said.

Bale is in the squad as Wales prepare to host Spain in an international friendly at the Principality Stadium on October 11 before facing the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League five days later.

The 29-year-old missed Madrid’s shock 1-0 loss to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday due to a groin injury.

“There’s no pressure to play Gareth,” said Giggs. “He had a little groin strain but the scan came back all clear and he expects to be involved at the weekend, which is good.

“With every player, you get the feedback of where they’re at. We do a lot of work between camps logging the minutes certain players have played.

“We then try to get it right regarding training and game time, so we do as much homework as we can to see where the players are and to know what’s best for the player and for us.”

Giggs added: “It’s not easy for Gareth. He’s in the middle of the Champions League, so there’s a midweek game, and at Real Madrid, you have to win every game.

“Every game is huge and it’s just getting that balance right. How many minutes he plays, whether he misses a game and what’s best for us and Real Madrid. Ideally, I want him to play every minute of every game.”

That City forward says the goalkeeper admitted to fouling him in the area after the controversial second-half incident

Leroy Sane has claimed Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann admitted a penalty should have been awarded to Manchester City in their 2-1 victory over the Bundesliga club in Tuesday’s Champions League clash.

City claimed their first Champions League victory of the season on Tuesday thanks to David Silva’s late winner, which came after Sergio Aguero had cancelled out a first-minute opener from Ishak Belfodil.

However, prior to Silva’s 87th-minute strike, the Premier League champions looked to be denied a clear second-half penalty when Sane went down in the box under a challenge from goalkeeper Baumann.

While it’s importance to match was lessened thanks to Silva’s heroics, Sane said after the contest Baumann had admitted he was guilty of a foul.

“I talked with him after the game, and he said to me, ‘yeah, it was a penalty’,” Sane told Viasport .

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola refused to discuss the controversial decision following the victory. 

Guardiola was absent from the touchline for his side’s opening Group F game with Lyon due to a UEFA ban that followed his sending-off in City’s quarter-final loss to Liverpool last season.

And the Man City manager strongly implied of being wary of further UEFA disciplinary action if he were to criticise the referee in this contest.

Asked for his thoughts on the incident involving Sane, he shook his head while saying:  “I don’t want to talk, I don’t want to talk, I don’t want to talk about officials.”

“I want to be with my players in the next games,” Guardiola added.

“I know what happened against Monaco at home and against Liverpool last season.”

The victory takes City up to three points and second in the group behind Lyon, who drew Shakhtar Donetsk and sit on four points. 

The reigning champions won 3-0 to claim a eighth straight Ligue 1 win, thanks to a double from Neymar and a goal for Christopher Nkunku

Thomas Tuchel says it is “a gift” working with Angel Di Maria following Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-0 Ligue 1 victory over Nice.

Neymar’s brace and a goal from Christopher Nkunku were enough to secure an eighth successive top flight win for PSG, who are now nine points clear at the top.

Neymar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting also had goals disallowed for offside, but it was Di Maria – who also hit the woodwork – who drew praise from Tuchel.

“I like Di Maria a lot, he is so gifted,” Tuchel said of the Argentine, who was impressive as part of a three-man forward line alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

“I watched him play with Real Madrid and for me I could not believe I could train him at some point back then.

“Now he is my player, it’s a gift for me. It’s easy with him as he is every day one of the first to come to training.

“He has a lot of skills, he always plays for the team, it’s really a gift.”

Tuchel rested Edinson Cavani and Marco Verratti for the trip to Allianz Riviera, with half an eye on PSG’s Champions League encounter with Red Star Belgrade in midweek.

And the former Borussia Dortmund boss claimed it was important to keep his players fresh while ensuring his ideas got across.

“First of all, I appreciate the fact that my players trust me and my ideas,” he added.

“It was important, our third game in one week, Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday. So the structure was important, to play 3-5-2 today.

“Nice are brave when they have the ball. I did not want my team to run without the ball. That’s why we change to play in 3-5-2.

“[The] players were open to this idea. We trained once yesterday like that and it was top. They played bravely.”

The Lazio midfielder’s agent claims that a buyout figure was never discussed during negotiations over a new five-year contract

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s new contract at Lazio does not include a release clause, claims the agent of a midfielder heavily linked with the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid.

When news broke of the 23-year-old’s five-year deal in the Italian capital, it was suggested that a buyout fee had been inserted.

A €100 million (£89m/$115m) fee was reported to have been included as an option for Serie A rivals to acquire the Serbia international, with AC Milan and Juventus said to be on a lengthy list of suitors.

Mateja Kezman, who represents Milinkovic-Savic, has, however, refuted claims that such an agreement was struck, with his client having merely committed to fresh terms because he wants to stay put.

“Sergej, Lazio and we in his entourage are all very happy with his new contract,” Kezman told LaLazioSiamoNoi.

“We’re looking forward with positive energy. The club is strong because they kept all of last season’s players, there’s a serious project and they want to play in the Champions League.

“So, everyone just has to concentrate on doing their best and making all the Lazio fans happy.

“No-one talked about a release clause, Sergej is very happy in Rome. He’s been here for three years and he loves the club and the city.

“He’s concentrating on recapturing his best form.”

Milinkovic-Savic is currently into his fourth season at Lazio.

His last outing was his 100th in Serie A, with his impressive performances across domestic, European and international competition having brought him to the attention of clubs around the world.

He has always maintained that his preference was to remain in Rome, and the signing of a long-term deal should help to keep him in his current surroundings for the foreseeable future.

The Spain international has been linked with a possible move across the Spanish capital, but he claims such a switch will never be made

Saul Niguez claims it would be “impossible” for him to leave Atletico Madrid for Real, while he never gave much thought to interest from Barcelona in the recent past.

It has been suggested that the star on the books at Wanda Metropolitano could cross the divide in the Spanish capital at some stage and make his way to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real are forever in the market for the best players on the planet and are not afraid to look for that on their own doorstep.

Saul, though, has informed the Blancos that there is no chance of him ever gracing their books, with the 23-year-old fully committed to the Atletico cause.

He told Cadena Ser: “Joining Real Madrid would for me be unthinkable…it would be very, very difficult, almost impossible.”

There is no need for a highly-rated midfielder to be weighing up his future options any time soon.

Saul signed a nine-year contract with Atletico back in the summer of 2017, with that deal set to take him through to 2026.

The Spain international is delighted with that long-term agreement, adding: “I do not know what is going to happen, I have a contract until 2026. I signed it knowing what there is here and I am very happy.”

Saul penned those terms after seeing Real, Manchester United and Barcelona linked with big-money moves to secure his signature.

He claims to have paid little attention to that speculation, with nobody from Camp Nou having made their interest known to him.

“They did not call me personally,” said Saul.

“There was a time when it might have been close, but before I got an offer Atletico put a renewal to me and I said ‘okay’.

“I never negotiated with anybody else.”