Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez must be ready to make an impact on his return to club football after Argentina's World Cup win, manager Erik ten Hag warned.
Martinez featured in five of Argentina's seven games as they clinched their third World Cup title in Qatar, starting twice.
Argentina's victory – which was sealed via a penalty shoot-out after a pulsating 3-3 draw with France – sparked wild celebrations in the country, with Tuesday's parade in Buenos Aires being cut short as huge crowds held up the team's bus.
While United boss Ten Hag says Martinez must savour his career highlight, he emphasised the need for the Red Devils' squad to switch focus as the Premier League returns.
"I can understand that it's emotional, it's very loaded when you achieve this. When you get the World Cup into your country it's magnificent, it's the highest thing you can achieve," he said.
"But also Licha has to accept that on the 27th, the Premier League will go on.
"We all know that the restart is five or six days after the World Cup final, and we all know that after the World Cup, the Premier League continues quickly.
"Everyone has to be ready for that and you have to accept it; the manager, the coaching staff, but also the players.
"We wanted to have a strong team to battle for the trophies. We spoke about the tough competition, so we have to be ready for it and it's not easy."
Having beaten Burnley to reach the last eight of the EFL Cup on Wednesday, United return to Premier League action against Nottingham Forest next Tuesday.
Martinez and fellow defender Raphael Varane will almost certainly be absent after helping their countries to the World Cup final, but Ten Hag has backed the France man to bounce back from the disappointment of seeing Argentina triumph.
"Of course, he's disappointed about losing the final, but I think he can be proud that he was in the final again, and of everything that he achieved already in his career," Ten Hag said of Varane.
"As a team, or as a player like Rapha, when you win so many trophies and now he's second [in the World Cup], I think you can still be proud because getting to the final is already a big achievement.
"I think the level of the nations was so close as they came into the final, then it was even in the final, as you know, they were very close."
United entered the World Cup break three points adrift of a top-four place with a game in hand, and although Ten Hag recognises his side are under pressure to qualify for the Champions League, he believes their rivals are in the same situation.
"As you say, I accept it, how it is, but I think it's also for the manager of Chelsea, for Newcastle United and all those clubs invested a lot in their squads," he said. "That will be for every manager.
"It's a big pressure to get into the Champions League, that's clear. You want to be in the top four and you want to fight for trophies and that's our aim."
Klopp reflects on 'special' Liverpool stint as tenure draws to a close
Jurgen Klopp reflected on his "special" stint in charge of Liverpool ahead of his final game on Sunday.
Klopp will manage Liverpool for the last time when the Reds take on Wolves in their final Premier League match of the season.
Having taken over in 2015, Klopp has led Liverpool to their maiden Premier League title, a Champions League crown, the FA Cup, multiple EFL Cups, as well as the Super Cup and Club World Cup titles.
While this season's Premier League title challenge ultimately fizzled out, Klopp used his programme notes to laud his players and staff for their efforts.
He wrote: "If space allowed I could write name after name of people who I need to thank but there has never been a match programme of this size, so I will have to be more general. I could not be more appreciative of the players past and present who have served this club in the nine years that I have been here.
"What they have achieved in that time is special, not just in terms of the moments they have created and the success they have had, but also in the way they have underlined what it is to represent LFC.
"This will be the final time that we will see two of them – Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara – at Anfield and I know they will be given the send-off that they deserve.
"You do not need me to tell you what they have achieved as individuals, you have experienced it all at first hand and as with others who have left us in recent seasons, they have more than made their mark on this club during a period which I think has been memorable for all of us.
"This will also be the end of an era for several members of our coaching and backroom staff who will also move on. To put it simply, I could not have more appreciation for the work that has been done by Pep Lijnders, Peter Krawietz, Vitor Matos, John Achterberg, Jack Robinson, Andreas Kornmayer, Andreas Schlumberger and Ray Haughan.
"The big positive for Liverpool is that no matter who is leaving, the club is still in a very, very good place. This season we aimed for the moon and ended up in the stars which is never too bad and the players and staff who are remaining are top, top class.
"Yes, they will have new leadership before too long but this is a club that is ready to take the journey in a new and exciting direction, not one that is ready for the journey to come to an end."
Feyenoord coach Arne Slot confirmed on Friday that he would be replacing Klopp.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Liverpool - Mohamed Salah
Salah is set to make his 250th Premier League appearance for Liverpool in this match. The Egyptian already has the second-highest combined goals and assists tally by any player in their first 250 appearances for a single club in the competition (223 – 155 goals, 68 assists), behind only Thierry Henry for Arsenal (243 – 171 goals, 72 assists).
Wolves - Hwang Hee-chan
No Wolves player has scored more Premier League goals this season than Hwang Hee-chan (12). He gave his side the lead in the reverse fixture against Liverpool at Molineux – the last Wolves player to score home and away against the Reds in a league campaign was John Richards in 1972-73.
MATCH PREDICTION: LIVERPOOL WIN
Liverpool have conceded at least once in each of their last 10 Premier League home games. They last had a longer run without a league clean sheet at home between January and November 1954, a run of 17 games that included relegation to the second division.
Between Christmas Eve and March 9, only the current top three sides earned more points in the Premier League than Wolves (22 – W7 D1 L3). Since then, only Sheffield United (two) have won fewer points than Gary O’Neil's side (five), with Wolves winning just one of their last nine (D2 L6).
Wolves have lost eight and won just one of their nine Premier League games on MD38. Their win rate of 11 per cent on the final day is the lowest of any side currently in the competition, while their current run of losing seven consecutive such games is the joint-longest in English top-flight history.
Liverpool have won 13 of their last 14 Premier League meetings with Wolves, with the exception being a 3-0 loss at Molineux in February last season.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Liverpool - 65.6%
Wolves - 12.7%
Draw - 21.7%
Chicago Fire FC v Columbus Crew: Klopas says poor run is 'extremely difficult' to take
Frank Klopas admits he is finding things "extremely difficult" amid Chicago Fire FC's poor form as they prepare to welcome Columbus Crew to Soldier Field.
The Fire have lost three MLS games in a row, most recently going down 1-0 to Charlotte FC in midweek, and are now winless in six.
Without a win since early April, Chicago have slipped down to 14th in the Eastern Conference ahead of Saturday's visit of Columbus.
Klopas, who was appointed head coach in December after previous spells as caretaker and assistant, knows it is on him to turn things around.
"We need confidence - we're very low on that," he said. "It's not easy because I'm asked the same questions, and I'm trying to find solutions and answers. I know I keep saying it, but we have to keep going and find a way out of this.
"I love this club and felt I could help it, so it's a difficult one for me because I wouldn't do this for any other team. It's extremely difficult in this moment because I haven't found solutions. We'll keep trying."
Columbus are seventh in the East, eight points better off than their opponents, having played a game less, and enter this contest on the back of a 3-1 win at CF Montreal.
That snapped a seven-game winless run, culminating in a 2-1 home reverse to FC Cincinnati – a loss that may prove to be a turning point for the reigning league champions.
"After the game against Cincinnati, we discussed about a specific topic," head coach Wilfried Nancy said after the win against Montreal. "For me, that was a weird game, and I explained the situation.
"That's why we were able to score goals [against Montreal]. That's why we were able to control the game. That's why we had a really good performance."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chicago Fire - Hugo Cuypers
The Fire have failed to score in four successive home matches for the first time in their history. That leaves them just one blank short of equalling the all-time MLS record of five, set by Toronto FC in 2007 and matched by FC Cincinnati in 2020.
The onus is on the forward players to find a way past Columbus, with Hugo Cuypers registering three shots against Charlotte, each of which were on target but none finding the net. The Fire quite simply need Cuypers to find his range this weekend.
Columbus Crew - Steven Moreira
Defender Moreira proved to be Columbus' unlikely hero in the win over Montreal as he set up two goals - the first multi-assist game of a Crew career that spans 100 games in all competitions.
Moreira, who also netted in the recent 2-2 draw with Portland Timbers, is the only player to register multiple assists in a single game for Columbus in MLS this season.
MATCH PREDICTION - COLUMBUS CREW WIN
Columbus have won five of their past six meetings with Chicago, including the past three in a row. Never before have they won four straight regular-season meetings with the Fire.
Chicago's three-game losing run is their worst of the season and their worst since a five-match losing streak that ended in September last year.
The Fire's 10 points after 13 matches are the fewest they have ever registered at this stage, meanwhile, and it does not get any easier for them against a Columbus side that have won back-to-back games 3-1 on their travels.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chicago Fire - 32.6%
Draw - 29%
Columbus Crew - 38.4%
Minnesota United FC v Portland Timbers: 'Proud' Neville hoping to build momentum
Phil Neville is hoping Portland Timbers can build some momentum with back-to-back victories when they take on Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field on Saturday.
The Timbers recovered from two goals down at half-time to beat San Jose Earthquakes 4-2 in their most recent match, snapping a three-game losing run and a nine-match wait for three points.
Portland are now back up to 11th in the Western Conference, but Neville accepts there is plenty to do if his side are to challenge for a play-off spot.
"The spirit in that second half [against San Jose] was bigger than anything I've seen in football, and I've seen an awful lot in football," Neville said.
"Those supporters willed the team, willed the ball into the back of the net and that’s what makes me proud to be the manager of this football club. We've got a hell of a lot of work to do. It's a big job and one we'll succeed in.”
Minnesota played out a 2-2 draw with LA Galaxy in their most recent match, as they let slip a half-time lead to trail 2-1 before hitting back late on.
The Loons have now won three and drawn one of their past four games and are second in the West after an impressive start to life under head coach Eric Ramsay.
The Welshman was particularly pleased with his side's first-half performance against Galaxy and is hoping for a full-90 performance when Portland visit.
"I think that's the most complete performance that we've had since I've been here," he told reporters.
"We're really frustrated overall because it's a game you felt we had complete control of at half-time. I just felt we've taken our foot off their neck in the second half."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Minnesota United - Bongokuhle Hlongwane
Hlongwane opened the scoring for Minnesota in the four-goal draw with Galaxy and enjoys playing against next opponents Portland.
Indeed, the South Africa international has scored in his first three MLS matches against the Timers - the only player in MLS history to do so.
Portland Timbers - Maxime Crepeau
The Timbers may have defeated San Jose in midweek, but they conceded multiple goals for a ninth straight game, equalling the longest streak in a single season in MLS history.
While it is down to the whole defensive unit to keep the opposition out, goalkeeper Crepeau's save percentage of 62 is the second lowest in MLS this season, behind only St. Louis City SC's Roman Burki (61.9 per cent)
MATCH PREDICTION: MINNESOTA UNITED WIN
Minnesota have won eight of their 13 regular-season meetings with the Timbers, averaging exactly two points per match in those games - the best of any Western Conference team against Portland since United joined MLS in 2017.
The Loons have lost only two of their opening 11 matches this season - never previously have they lost fewer than four games at this stage - and have scored multiple goals in each of their past four outings.
Portland showed great spirit in fighting back against San Jose - it was the second latest a team has come from two goals down in an MLS match to win by multiple goals - but that is only one of three wins in 13 MLS games this term.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Minnesota United - 48.9%
Draw - 26.6%
Portland Timbers - 24.5%
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