Not-so-subtle hint! Jadon Sancho reactivates Instagram account and teases Borussia Dortmund return ahead of loan from Man Utd

Jadon Sancho has reactivated his Instagram account ahead of his return to Borussia Dortmund on loan from Manchester United.

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Sancho already in DortmundReturns to Instagram just hours after landingLoan deal set to be announcedWHAT HAPPENED?

The 23-year-old has already flown to Germany before his impending move to the Black & Yellows. And immediately upon his return, Sancho reactivated his Instagram account which he had to deactivate due to a row with Erik ten Hag for his'scapegoat' remark that left him exiled from all first-team facilities since August.

He has deleted all former posts and teased his imminent move to Dortmund on his display picture with an image from his earlier stint at Signal Iduna Park.

@sanchooo10 Instagram

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It will be a straight short-term loan with no-buy option, which means that Sancho will return to Manchester in the summer. He had been training with the academy players at Carrington to keep himself fit and ready for a fresh challenge after it was made abundantly clear that he had no future at Old Trafford.

DID YOU KNOW?

Jadon Sancho is the only player since 2004-05 who has scored and assisted at least 15 goals each within a single Bundesliga season, doing so in 2019-20 (17 goals and 16 assists).

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Sancho is set for his medical at Dortmund before re-signing with his former employers until the end of the campaign. It remains to be seen if Sancho is handed a run-out on Saturday by coach Edin Terzic against Darmstadt in the Bundesliga or if he is made to wait until January 20 to get back to competitive action against Koln at RheinEnergie Stadion.

From signing Henry to Dein's departure – The 20 defining moments of Wenger's Arsenal reign

The Frenchman's 22-year tenure drew to a close at Huddersfield on Sunday – here, Goal takes a look back at some unforgettable memories

Getty​Revolutionising training

When Wenger arrived in north London, he completely changed the entire culture of the club.

New training regimes based around isometrics helped older players such as Tony Adams and Martin Keown prolong their careers.

Indeed, diets changed dramatically as Wenger introduced healthy food into the club canteen and his revolutionary methods immediately reaped dividends, as he won the double in his first full season as manager.

AdvertisementGettyOffering a rematch

Wenger was widely lauded for his sense of fair play when, in February 1999, he offered an FA Cup rematch to Sheffield United because Marc Overmars' decisive goal in a 2-1 win at Highbury had come while one of the visiting team's players was down injured.

The rematch took place 10 days later and Arsenal won again by the exact same scoreline.

Selling players at the right time

The loss of striking sensation Nicolas Anelka to Real Madrid in the summer of 1999 looked like a major blow for Arsenal but Wenger used the £23m accrued to sign Thierry Henry, which proved an absolute masterstroke.

Emmanuel Adebayor, Emmanuel Petit, Marc Overmars and Alexander Hleb also feature among the list of players that were never quite the same again after leaving north London.

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Signing Thierry Henry… Twice!

After arriving from Juventus in August 1999 for £11 million, Henry was converted from a winger into a striker by Wenger, who had previously worked with his fellow Frenchman at Monaco. 

The rest, as they say, is history, with Henry going on to become Arsenal's all-time record goalscorer, as well as one of the finest centre-forwards of the modern era.

His return in 2012 was not quite as successful but there was sheer jubilation when he scored an FA Cup winner against Leeds.

Liverpool player ratings vs Bournemouth: Dominik Szoboszlai continues to shine despite Alexis Mac Allister's moment of madness

The Reds were reduced to 10 men after just 57 minutes but claimed three precious points thanks in no small part to their new Hungarian midfielder

Liverpool picked up their first win of the season on Saturday afternoon, beating Bournemouth 3-1 at Anfield despite seeing Alexis Mac Allister sent off just before the hour mark.

The Reds started the game horrifically and were deservedly punished for their sloppiness – which was personified by Trent Alexander-Arnold – when Antoine Semenyo drilled the ball past Alisson after the hosts had lost possession in their own half.

Liverpool drew level thanks to a moment of magic from Luis Diaz before taking the lead when Mohamed Salah made amends for missing a penalty by converting the rebound.

Mac Allister then saw a straight red for clattering into Ryan Christie – much to the shock of the summer signing, who clearly felt that the foul was more deserving of a yellow – but Liverpool responded admirably to being reduced to 10 men, with Diogo Jota sealing a vital victory with a tap-in.

Below, GOAL rates all of the Reds on show on a dramatic afternoon at Anfield…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Alisson Becker (6/10):

All over the place in the opening quarter, during which he got himself booked for a wild lunge on Jaidon Anthony after losing possession outside his penalty area, but made some crucial stops in the second half to keep Bournemouth at bay.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (3/10):

Recovered well from his dreadful start, even going close to scoring, but the errors he made early on were atrocious. He got away with the first – when he unintentionally diverted a long ball past Alisson and towards an open goal – thanks to a marginal offside call but he was punished by Semenyo for losing the ball carelessly in the middle of the park.

Ibrahima Konate (6/10):

Like nearly everyone else in the Liverpool backline, was horribly shaky early on, missing tackles that he really should have made. But he did improve the longer the game wore on and played his part in Klopp's teams seeing it out.

Virgil van Dijk (6/10):

Nowhere near as culpable as some of his team-mates for Liverpool's poor start but he has to take his share of the blame for Bournemouth's opener, given he put Alexander-Arnold under serious pressure with his pass. The captain defended well thereafter, though, and was unlucky not to get a goal, with his fine header coming back off the bar.

Andy Robertson (5/10):

Still seems to be struggling with the extra responsibility placed upon his shoulders because of the use of Alexander-Arnold as an auxiliary midfielder. He just doesn't look comfortable as a left-sided centre-back – which is effectively what he's asked to be with his fellow full-back further forward – and it seriously restricts his offensive contribution.

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Dominik Szoboszlai (8/10):

One of the few players to shine at Stamford Bridge – and performed even more impressively here, winning the penalty with a neat turn – and embarrassingly exaggerated fall – just inside the area. The Hungarian was involved in nearly all of Liverpool's best attacks and he also took the shot which led to Jota making it 3-1. A seriously exciting talent on the ball, Szoboszlai looks set to become a star at Anfield.

Alexis Mac Allister (4/10):

Once again struggled in a central defensive midfield role that he's unlikely to be asked to play again, given Liverpool's reinforcements will be bedded in by the time he returns from suspension. The red card itself was harsh – there was zero malice in the challenge and it didn't constitute serious foul play – but he only had himself to blame for mistiming his tackle so badly.

Cody Gakpo (5/10):

Showed the odd flash of what he can do when he got the chance to break forward from deep but the midfield role is just not working for him – or Liverpool. With Endo now on board, it should be ditched soon, allowing Gakpo to start challenging Jota for the No.9 role again.

Getty Attack

Mohamed Salah (6/10):

A ninth goal in nine appearances against Bournemouth but Salah was desperately fortunate to find the back of the net here, with the ball falling so nicely for him after seeing his spot-kick saved by Neto. Also squandered some great chances from open play – just has he did at Chelsea the week before – and was too selfish in possession at times.

Diogo Jota (8/10):

Took the wrong option a few times early on but teed up Luis Diaz for the crucial equaliser before getting on the scoresheet himself after being first to react to Neto failing to hold Szoboszlai's deflected effort. Got a real shot of making the centre-forward role his own because of his pressing, striker's instincts and mobility.

Luis Diaz (8/10):

Caught in possession a couple of times early on but Liverpool's livewire turned the game in his side's favour with an outrageous piece of skill, with the crafty Colombian teeing the ball up for himself before volleying home. He really is a great game-changer.

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Getty Subs & Manager

Wataru Endo (6/10):

Brought on soon after Mac Allister's dismissal and made an encouraging debut, only misplacing one pass.

Joe Gomez (5/10):

Introduced in place of a hobbling Alexander-Arnold with 15 minutes to go.

Harvey Elliott (5/10):

Replaced Jota in the closing stages and butchered one break with a poor pass but worked tirelessly for the 10-man Reds.

Konstantinos Tsimikas (N/A):

Only came on with five minutes to go.

Darwin Nunez (N/A):

Not given anything like enough time to stake his claim for a starting spot.

Jurgen Klopp (6/10):

Clearly red the riot act at half-time because Liverpool were far better after the interval – both before and after Mac Allister's dismissal. But the Gakpo midfield experiment needs to be immediately ditched now that Endo is on board.

‘Liverpool have probably eyed up the next Mo Salah’ – Emile Heskey explains why £150m transfer to Saudi Arabia appears inevitable & how that money will be spent

Emile Heskey admits that Mohamed Salah appears destined to leave Liverpool in a £150m deal, but he feels a replacement may already have been lined up.

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Egyptian the subject of big-money offerReds rejected all approaches for nowSale expected to happen in 2024NOT FOR SALE!

The Reds were able to fend off interest shown in the Egyptian superstar from Al-Ittihad towards the end of the summer window, but the Saudi Arabian outfit remain keen and are expected to rekindle their interest at some stage in 2024.

AdvertisementWHAT ARE THE ODDS?

Former Reds striker Heskey – speaking on behalf of – told GOAL when asked if the chances of Salah seeing out his contract are now less than 50-50: “Probably! They are not going to go away. He is the biggest Muslim football player in the world. The biggest win for them would be to get the biggest Muslim football player in the world. They are trying to take over all sports – boxing goes there, the Formula One, UFC. Football is arguably one of the biggest in the world, and Salah one of the biggest Muslim stars, so I wasn’t surprised that they went after him. It was a huge offer and I expect them to keep coming and keep raising that bar. It’s not just for the duration of his contract, they are probably looking for him to be an ambassador for them for life. I don’t see them going away.”

ASKING PRICE

Salah will turn 32 next summer, while entering the final year of a deal at Anfield that is due to expire in 2025, and Heskey said when asked if £100m ($124m) could be enough to do a deal at that stage: “I think they will still stick to the 150 ($186m). I think that will be sat there. I don’t think it will be done in January, I don’t think Liverpool will want to disrupt and disturb what they have at this moment in time – they are pushing up there towards the top of the table. I don’t think they will disturb that, but I think they will push again – 100 percent because they will want Mo Salah.”

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WHO’S NEXT?

If Liverpool were to raise big money for Salah, would they then look to bring in a ready-made superstar as his replacement – given how valuable that he has been to the cause down the years? Heskey responded to that poser by saying: “Very good question. I don’t think it’s in Liverpool’s ethos to do that. When it comes to their recruitment, I don’t think that is how they see things – they look at the full package and potential going forward. I don’t know if Jurgen would want to go and get a superstar with all of the stuff that comes with it. Would he really want to do that? I don’t think he would. They have probably already eyed up who could be the next Mo Salah."

Mamelodi Sundowns Player Ratings – Shalulile and Jali disappoint against Petro de Luanda

Sundowns crashed out of the Caf Champions League on Saturday after drawing 1-1 with the Angolan giants who won the tie 2-1 on aggregate.

GOAL runs the rule over the individual performances of Masandawana players after the Tshwane giants were eliminated in the quarter-finals.

BackpagepixDenis Onyango – 6/10

Largely untroubled in the first half.

Onyango made routine saves from long-range efforts after the restart with Downs leading, but he was well beaten by Tiago Azulao, who sent him the wrong way from the penalty spot.

AdvertisementBackpagepixThapelo Morena – 6/10

Started well on the right side of Downs' defence.

Morena dribbled the ball well and beat his opponent on a couple of occasions, but his delivery into the Petro box was poor and he was rarely tested defensively.

BackpagepixLyle Lakay – 7.5/10

Put in a good performance at left-back. 

Lakay went up and down the wing well using his speed and combined well with his teammates. His well-taken free-kick led to the equalising goal.

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BackpagepixRushine De Reuck – 6/10

Recalled to the starting line-up to replace an out-of-form Mosa Lebusa.

De Reuck passed the ball around well, helping his side move out of the tight spots they were put in by Petro's press and also contained Azulao, who could only score from the spot-kick.

‘Cameron Diaz? She can play up front for us!’ – Hollywood mishap at Sheffield United briefly puts a smile on Chris Wilder’s face amid Blades’ Premier League relegation battle

A Hollywood mishap at Sheffield United put a brief smile on Chris Wilder’s face, with the Blades boss saying Cameron Diaz “can play up front for us”.

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Blades struggling at both ends of the fieldScrapping for survival as a resultIn desperate need of inspiration from somewhereWHAT HAPPENED?

A Premier League relegation battle is being played out at Bramall Lane, with the clock seriously ticking on a bid to rise out of the bottom three. Wilder has returned to Sheffield in a bid to aid that cause, having previously overseen a successful promotion push and top-flight consolidation.

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He has a tough task on his hands, with the Blades currently rooted to the foot of the division – seven points from safety with 13 games left to take in. There has been little for Sheffield United to laugh about of late, with five goals being conceded in each of the club’s last three home fixtures across all competitions.

DID YOU KNOW?

Wilder was, however, given a chuckle following a humbling 5-0 defeat against Brighton. Long-serving local journalist Alan Biggs asked the Blades boss about those currently ruled out through injury, with the question posed of whether there is “any prospect of getting Archer and Cameron Diaz back quickly?”

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GettyWHAT WILDER SAID

Wilder, who is without Cameron Archer and Ben Brereton Diaz at present, saw the funny side of that mix up as he quipped back with: “Cameron Diaz? She can play up front for us! Like that. You've brightened me up for five seconds!”

KKR bowlers, top order crush Sunrisers

Umesh Yadav’s first-over double-strike loosened the bolts, before Kolkata Knight Riders’ spinners took charge and the wheels truly came off Sunrisers Hyderabad’s chase

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando04-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:05

O’Brien: Chasing was the wrong call for SRH

Umesh Yadav’s first-over double-strike loosened the bolts, before Kolkata Knight Riders’ spinners took charge and the wheels truly came off Sunrisers Hyderabad’s chase. Pursuing 168 on a dry Eden Gardens deck, the visitors were 6 for 2, then later slipped to 69 for 6 in the 12th over, as the big shots continued to prove unfruitful, and their running between wickets faltered. They would finish 35 runs adrift, at 132 for 9.Brad Hogg and Piyush Chawla were both menacing and miserly through the middle overs, picking 3 for 33 from eight overs between them to lock up the match despite Moises Henriques’ battling 41 from 33, which was the top score in the match.Perhaps Sunrisers captain David Warner’s first mistake of the evening had been to bowl first on what appeared to be a spin-friendly deck to his counterpart, Gautam Gambhir. After his side had conceded 167 for 7, Warner made another error to see his off stump pegged back by the third legal delivery he faced. Having pulled Yadav for four previous ball, Warner played around a seaming length ball. Three balls later, Naman Ojha made the same mistake, the stump, this time, coming all the way out of the ground.Shikhar Dhawan and Henriques attempted to bash the chase into gear, but at spin’s early introduction, they became more cautious. Dhawan was out when he smoked a Brad Hogg half-tracker straight to square leg, but despite that bad ball, Hogg was instrumental in keeping the opposition pinned to their bad start. Yusuf Pathan leaked 19 runs in his solitary over, conceding two sixes and a four to Henriques, but the bowlers around him were economical enough to prevent a Sunrisers surge.Eoin Morgan’s slow start got worse when, after a moment’s hesitation, he failed to beat Gambir’s throw to the non-striker’s end, and was out for 5 off 11. The boundaries had dried up after that Pathan over, and another double-strike in the 12th over, went a long way to sealing the result.Hanuma Vihari ran past a Chawla slider fourth ball, before Bipul Sharma was run out attempting an ambitious second at the end of the over. That left the visitors needing 99 from 48 balls with four wickets in hand, and with Chawla, Yadav and Hogg all continuing to bowl tightly, the required-rate quickly climbed to unmanageable levels. In all, no boundaries were hit for eight overs in a stretch.Knight Riders’ own innings had been somewhat disjointed, with four batsmen hitting thirties, as Sunrisers’ slower bowlers also prospered. Robin Uthappa and Gambhir had put on 57 together before Gambhir holed out to deep midwicket off Karn Sharma’s bowling. Manish Pandey looked the most promising out of the top-order batsmen, finding two big sixes down the ground, before he ran himself out for 33 in the 14th over. Pathan struck four fours in a 19-ball 30 that finished the innings. Karn ended with 2 for 29, the best figures for Sunrisers.

From Neymar to Mbappe – Top players who rejected Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappe had already turned down Madrid once back in 2017…

When Real Madrid come calling, invariably the player in question tends to make the move. There are not too many players who would have the heart to say no to the Spanish giants given their trophy-laden history and legacy. From David Beckham to Luis Figo, they have snapped up the biggest stars of football for astronomical prices.

A few have their dreams fulfilled while many fail to make the cut. There are several examples where even after joining Madrid, they could not prove their worth and had to leave. However, there are some legends of the game who have turned down the offer to Real Madrid.

While Kylian Mbappe's decision not to join Real Madrid must have been a hard one to take for Real Madrid fans, especially given the 2017 incident. One must note that the French international had already turned them down once back in 2017 when he was with Monaco. Steven Gerrard rejected Madrid in 2004 and did so again in 2010. Even Roy Keane and Paul Pogba decided to turn down offers from Los Blancos. Let's take a look at players who have turned down Madrid at some point in their careers.

Steven Gerrard

"I think I had a couple of options throughout my career to go to Real Madrid but I resisted the temptation because of the big connection I had to my hometown club.

"It may be something I regret further down the line by not challenging myself and having a change of scenery in a different country, but I would have had a bigger regret leaving the club I love. I am a big fan of Madrid, they are a special club, but for me, Liverpool are my number one club," explained the former Liverpool captain.

AdvertisementNeymar

Neymar had the opportunity to join Madrid when he was 13, but he did not accept. Even in 2013, the capital-based club went to war with Barcelona for his services but the Brazilian ultimately chose the Blaugranas.

"I was 13, it was the first time I came to Europe. At that time, I did not feel comfortable. I did not see myself happy and able to stay away from Brazil so young," he later stated to L'Equipe.

GettyFrancesco Totti

Real Madrid tried to sign Totti on three different occasions but the Italian stayed true to Roma.

“Of course I thought about it. Let’s say that there were quite a few days in which we had one foot in and one foot out. Then, I’ve said, often and truthfully, that the choice to stay with Roma was made from the heart. In those moments, when you feel like this, you can’t walk away.

“But certainly, looking back, thinking about the fact of saying no to Real Madrid, a little bit of doubt does remain. Real Madrid were the only other team that I could have gone to play for. The only team it could have been, I think. An experience in a different country could have been something beautiful for everyone. For my family. For me,” he explained.

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GettyRoy Keane

At the twilight of his career, Real Madrid came knocking with an 18-month contract.

"Real Madrid offered me a year and a half deal. Michael (Kennedy) had been over to Madrid and he’d negotiated a deal with Real. They spoke to me, too. Butragueño rang me. Emilio Butragueño – what a player he was. Michael had given me a heads-up that Butragueño would be phoning, so I took my mobile everywhere with me.

“And – how’s your luck – he rang me when I was sitting on the toilet. He said, ‘Look, Roy, we’ll be glad to have you.’ The club’s board just had to sanction the deal; it was standard procedure. I was going, ‘–okay’, hesitating. Michael was going, ‘What are you doing, Roy?' It was the most attractive challenge in front of me, but I didn’t accept it,” he said.

“With hindsight, I should have said to myself, ‘Go. Go to Spain, live there for a year and a half, learn a different language, learn the culture. You might end up loving it. You might even stay there," he stated in his autobiography.

Revealed: Lionel Messi Instagram earnings $200m more than MLS rivals as Inter Miami superstar leaves LA Galaxy striker Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez trailing in his wake

Lionel Messi is earning $200 million (£165m) more on Instagram than his MLS rivals, with Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez left trailing in his wake.

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Argentine superstar now in the StatesBoasts massive marketing appealThe biggest draw in American soccerWHAT HAPPENED?

The Argentine superstar is now the biggest show in U.S. soccer, with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner completing a stunning switch to Inter Miami. He has helped to raise the profile of the domestic game in America, with A-list guests flocking to watch him in action as ticket prices soar each and every time that he takes to the field.

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Messi is a marketing dream, and he is taking full advantage of that on social media. A study from has revealed that the 2022 World Cup winner is averaging $4.9m (£4m) for every sponsored post on Instagram. Those figures leave him on course to earn $206.6m (£170m) for the calendar year of 2023.

Getty/GOALDID YOU KNOW?

To put those numbers into context, LA Galaxy striker Chicharito sits second on the MLS Instagram earning list, but the Mexico international gets $62,500 per post and a little over $1m in total. Lorenzo Insigne occupies third spot on £22,450 and $134,700 respectively.

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Messi has 485m followers on Instagram and earns more per post than leading other figures in American sport. NBA superstar LeBron James gets $1.6m per sponsored post, while NFL legend Tom Brady comes in at $147,000. Messi’s boss in Florida – Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham – averages $841,000 from his social media activity, with the Manchester United and England icon set to pull in $15.1m (£12m) from Instagram in 2023.

Andre Onana is 'second-best goalkeeper in the Premier League'! Erik ten Hag passionately defends Man Utd No.1 after horrific Champions League error at Galatasaray

Erik ten Hag has unwavering belief in Andre Onana and considers the Manchester United goalkeeper to be the “second-best” in the Premier League.

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Cameroonian shot-stopper acquired for big moneyHas made a number of costly mistakesManager backing him to silence any doubtersWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils boss is using statistics to support that argument, with the Cameroonian shot-stopper sitting second on the English top-flight list when it comes post-shot xG minus goals allowed. No keeper has kept more cleans this season either than the five collected by a player that United snapped up for £48 million ($61m) during the summer transfer window.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT TEN HAG SAID ABOUT ONANA

Some serious questions have been asked of Onana, with costly errors blighting Premier League and Champions League performances, but Ten Hag has said of his last line of defence: “If you analyse it well then you see he is the second-best goalkeeper in the Premier League based on stats, his expected preventing goals is second-best in the Premier League. He's doing well but he knows that in the Champions League he has made some mistakes but all over in the first five months he has done well. You know also. Because you have seen how he is reacting on a bad performance like in Munich at Burnley he was outstanding. He is a strong character, he is a personality and he will deal with it.”

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Onana gift-wrapped goals for Galatasaray during United’s 3-3 draw on Turkish soil, with the 27-year-old contributing to the dropping of points in Champions League competition that Ten Hag’s side can ill afford to let slip.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ONANA & MAN UTD?

United will be back in domestic action on Saturday when taking in a testing trip to fellow top-four hopefuls Newcastle, with Onana hoping to rediscover a spark at St James’ Park that will help to end the criticism being aimed in his direction and allow definitive decisions to be made on whether or not he will head to the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

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