SHORT CORNER
Costa bags debut goal
Helder Costa marked his Portugal debut with a goal as the European champions eased to a 3-1 friendly win over Scotland on Sunday.
Wolves forward Costa opened the scoring late in the first half at Hampden Park.
And despite the absence of Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Santos's side wrapped up a comfortable victory when Eder and Bruma netted in the second half.
Ronaldo has been left out of the Portugal squad while he fights to clear his name following allegations of rape, which he strongly denies.
Ronaldo wasn't the only high-profile absentee from Portugal's line-up.
Besiktas defender Pepe and Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva were allowed to return to their clubs as Santos made a host of changes from the Nations League victory in Poland on Thursday.
English players overworked after World Cup: Southgate
Gareth Southgate believes English players have been hampered by the Premier League starting so soon after the World Cup.
England's top flight began on Friday August 10, less than a month after England had been knocked out by Croatia in the semi-finals in Russia.
The first divisions in France and Italy began on the same weekend, but La Liga in Spain kicked off on August 17 and the Bundesliga in Germany on August 24.
"When you see the league, a lot of teams haven't started yet at their maximum. There have been lot of injuries across our league," Southgate said on Sunday.
"I don't really understand why our league started so early, but they did, and it was a really difficult situation for the clubs.
"Some of the clubs couldn't field a team without...look at Tottenham, who had so many players in the semifinals of the World Cup.
"It was an impossible situation for their coaches really."
Van Dijk out of Belgium friendly
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk has withdrawn from their squad for Tuesday's friendly against Belgium, less than 24 hours after scoring in the 3-0 win over Germany in the Nations League.
Van Dijk, 27, is still feeling the effects of a rib injury suffered playing for Liverpool against Southampton last month and the Dutch football association said in a statement on Sunday that it had been decided he would only play against Germany.
No replacement will be called up for Tuesday's friendly in Brussels.
Van Dijk got the opening goal for the Dutch on Saturday, before Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum scored late on as they recorded a morale-boosting triumph over their neighbours.
Turan charged for brawl
Turkish prosecutors yesterday charged Barcelona player Arda Turan over a brawl with a prominent singer, asking for the footballer to be sentenced to twelve-and-a-half years in jail.
The prosecutors charged Turan, who is currently on loan to Istanbul club Basaksehir, with sexual harassment, unlicensed possession of weapons and causing intentional injury over the fight with singer Berkay Sahin, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.
Sahin was also charged, with prosecutors demanding up to two years in jail.
The incident, which took place outside an Istanbul nightclub and reportedly left Sahin with a broken nose, has transfixed Turkey over the last days.
Turkish media reports said that the dispute concerned Berkay's wife, Ozlem Ada Sahin.
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