AZ Alkmaar have apologised for the violence which marred West Ham’s Europa Conference League semi-final win and labelled it a “pitch-black evening”.

Pablo Fornals’ stoppage-time strike, which earned a 3-1 aggregate victory and sent them to next month’s final in Prague, prompted a gang of black-shirted, hooded AZ ultras to attempt to storm into the area reserved for friends and family behind the dugout.

Players including Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma, Aaron Cresswell and Flynn Downes climbed over the advertising hoardings in a bid to stop the trouble.

An AZ statement read: “While everyone hoped for a historic European match, it turned into a pitch-black evening due to the events occurring at the referee’s final whistle. It turned into a night to reflect on with shame.

“Not because of the football game played, but because of the behaviour of some attending. Unfortunately, we cannot use the word ‘supporters’ for these people.

“What happened is beyond all bounds. The club again sincerely apologises to West Ham and the thousands of well-minded AZ supporters who have also been inconvenienced by the misconduct.

“In the coming period AZ will – together with the police, Public Prosecution Service, and Alkmaar’s municipality – evaluate exactly what happened, how it could have happened and what needs to be improved from now on. It is clear that things need to be improved.

“Part of the evaluation is a thorough review of all available footage so that appropriate consequences may follow for those responsible for this outrageous behaviour.

“AZ is a civilised club where sportsmanship and norms and values are paramount. The club will do everything possible, together with the authorities involved, to identify these persons and to take appropriate measures.”

UEFA is expected to launch an investigation into the trouble.

The governing body’s disciplinary panel will wait for the relevant reports before deciding on any action, but the PA news agency understands that given the severity of the disorder, it could follow previous cases and an inspector may be appointed to investigate more thoroughly.

Given the extensive video footage of the ugly scenes the Dutch club could face heavy sanctions.

Hammers boss David Moyes, whose 87-year-old father David Snr was at the match, said: “I can’t explain what happened and why it happened.

“I can only say the players were involved because it was the family section and most of their family and friends were in there. That was probably the reason for the reaction.

“Was I worried? Yeah, my family were there and I had friends in that section. You’re hoping they would try and get themselves away from it.

“I didn’t recognise it because I’d gone onto the pitch. Security wanted to take me inside, but I had to make sure my players weren’t involved.”

Dundee United left-back Aziz Behich will use his positive experience of fighting relegation to try to seize the initiative against Livingston in a game he is treating like a cup final.

United sit bottom of the cinch Premiership with three games left and defeat in West Lothian could see them staring into the abyss depending on results elsewhere.

“We all know what’s at stake here,” the former Bursaspor and Istanbul Basaksehir player said. “We are bottom of the table. We can’t look ahead of this week and we are treating this game as a final. That’s the mentality we need to go in with.

“A lot of players maybe haven’t been in this situation before. Personally I have, two or three times over in Turkey, and come out on top of it.

“This is a new situation for a lot and it’s just how you deal with it. You either take it by the scruff of the neck or you roll over. I don’t think we have got players here that want to roll over.

“We have got good characters in the changing room and us older guys have to push that leading into Saturday.”

Behich’s season has veered between huge highs and massive lows, from conceding seven goals on his United debut against AZ Alkmaar to playing for Australia against Argentina in the last 16 of the World Cup and nearly scoring a sensational late equaliser.

The ups and downs continued. After a strong return from the World Cup, United went 11 league games without a win before claiming three consecutive victories going into the split.

But they have still not been able to kick on and successive defeats against St Johnstone and Ross County have left them in the mire.

“It has been a bit of a roller coaster but that’s part of football, part of the journey,” the 32-year-old defender said.

“But I’m happy to be at this club. It’s a great football club, a great fanbase.

“Obviously we have to look at ourselves, why we are in this situation, as individuals.

“But it’s not the time for that now because we still have three final games to play and we still have to have that belief within the four walls, in that changing room, that we are going to get out of this.

“We are the only ones that can do that. Not the coaching staff, not the people on the outside – it’s us players on the pitch that, at the end of the day, define the outcome really.”

Celtic assistant manager John Kennedy believes last weekend’s tough experience at Ibrox can ultimately be of benefit to some of the younger players in the team.

The likes of Yuki Kobayashi, Alexandro Bernabei and Oh Hyeon-gyu were handed derby starts but were on the wrong end of a 3-0 defeat.

Celtic had already wrapped up the cinch Premiership title and beaten Rangers in both cup competitions but the first derby defeat of the season still stung Ange Postecoglou’s side and supporters.

However, Kennedy believes there was plenty to take from the game which can help treble-chasing Celtic continue to move forward.

“There is learning in every game for us, individually and collectively,” he said.

“If we go out and win 5-0 we will always pick the holes in it and the positives and feed that back to the players as a group and individually.

“It’s the same process when we suffer a defeat or a poor performance. The players are very comfortable with that, they know that.

“But sometimes in terms of going through that tough experience, you do get a lot of learning from that.

“When you are winning every week you get in a mindset and that becomes the norm, and sometimes it just shakes you up a little bit and gives you a reminder that if part of your game is not quite on it or if you don’t attack the game in the right intent, it gives us a reminder.

“Even the way we started the game wasn’t to our normal standards. Rangers came on to us, we lost a lot of duels, missed a lot of passes. And straight away that put us under pressure.

“It’s important for us to always remember that we play a style that we look to impose on the opposition.

“When the game is more challenging, there is certainly more things to look at.

“In hindsight, a lot of the boys will look back at that and learn a lot from that, especially the younger lads, who hopefully will be able to go into the next games and correct some of the errors that happened.”

Celtic had two-thirds of the ball at Ibrox but only one shot on target compared to Rangers’ eight.

Kennedy said: “I think that was Rangers’ strategy, they had two quick players at the top end, they gave up possession at times, but we were probably as wasteful with it as we have been in most of our games.

“In terms of decision-making, execution and the technical side of the game, we missed too many passes and made too many bad decisions.

“And that led to a lot of turnovers and gave Rangers the opportunity to hit us on counter-attacks and catch us when we weren’t quite organised.

“There was certainly a lot to look into on the game. As much as it was a bad result and poor performance, it’s a good reminder for us as a group that we have constantly got to be on it. You can’t drop 10 per cent because we know how much that affects our game.”

Celtic bid to bounce back at home to St Mirren on Saturday and Kennedy is sure there will be an edge to his team’s game, especially with the Scottish Cup final against Inverness to come on June 3.

The former Scotland international said: “There’s always that drive. Players are stimulated by playing for the club and you want to perform in every game. They are competitors and there is always that motivation.

“The fact we have the cup final to go, it gives us that stimulant right through to the end of the season.

“We are not just playing games out, we want to finish as strong as we can and it’s important we get the right form and conditioning going into the cup final because on the day you have to put in a performance that merits the win.”

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes believes there are “not enough words” to describe the impact that departing duo Magdalena Eriksson and Pernille Harder have had.

The duo announced on Thursday that they will both leave the club at the end of the season.

Captain Eriksson joined Chelsea in 2017 and has made 149 appearances as well as lifting four WSL trophies, while Harder is aiming to win her third WSL title with the club this year since arriving at Kingsmeadow in 2020.

The Blues have two games remaining in the race for the Women’s Super League title, starting with a clash against rivals Arsenal on Sunday, and Hayes paid tribute to Eriksson and Harder’s contributions.

Hayes told a pre-match press conference: “There’s not enough words to describe the impact, Magda particularly because she’s been here longer, they have had on the club.

“We had a chat about it today and people don’t really realise what this culture is unless you’re in it and it’s a culture that Magda, especially alongside me, has driven the standards, I’d say Millie Bright too, the three of us have been the standard bearers.

“I know how emotional Mags will get with things, that was a really tough day for her yesterday and I know she’s probably also glad it’s out there.

“For us as a football club we choose to manage things like this, we don’t believe there has to be bad endings, we think our experiences together have been positive and they’ve been worthwhile and meaningful, so we don’t have to be cynical about it, we don’t part in bad ways.

“I think also, for Pernille, she’s one of the most eccentric characters I’ve ever coached.

“I will miss her eccentricity, no question, her attention to detail, her thirst for winning, the both of them are going to provide their next club with an absolute lot of quality and we’ve lost a lot, no doubt, but we’re equally happy for both of them and we’re very proud of both of them for everything they’ve done here.”

Hayes provided an update on Millie Bright, who has been out with a knee injury sustained in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Lyon.

Although the England defender remains sidelined, the Chelsea manager is optimistic Bright may make the upcoming World Cup in the summer.

Hayes said: “Millie’s still on crutches. I think she’ll be okay for this summer’s World Cup but when you have surgery, the reality is she’s had her knee cleaned out and sometimes you give or take a week or two.

“It might be a little bit earlier, it might be a little bit later, so I expect Millie to make the World Cup, but there’s no guarantees of anything in life.

“I know she saw the surgeon a couple of days ago and they were really happy with it so I have no reason to believe she won’t make it.”

Hayes also confirmed Fran Kirby has had successful surgery, with the England midfielder already ruled out of the World Cup.

She added: “Fran’s had a successful surgery, the piece of bone’s been taken out of her knee, and she will be back in with the group in pre-season.

“I think she will need that pre-season, something she didn’t get last year.

“I’m excited, without that knee problem we would have had her back, but it was one that unfortunately we couldn’t avoid the surgery in the end.”

Rangers incoming chief executive James Bisgrove has suggested away fans could return to Old Firm derbies next season albeit a full allocation of visiting supporters is “highly unlikely”.

The two most recent cinch Premiership Glasgow derbies were played in front of home supporters only due to “safety and security” issues.

Previous to that around 800 away supporters were allowed, which in itself was vastly reduced from the approximately 7,500 tickets which were once allocated to visitors.

However, Bisgrove – who will officially take over the role on July 31 – said: “It’s definitely an area we are going to look at.

“We are going to have dialogue with all the right stakeholders and authorities, be that Police Scotland, be that Celtic, and we recognise all the different viewpoints on that and we will see where those discussions go for next season.

“There’s no specific date in the diary for those talks but I would imagine that during the summer and before the next Old Firm game that the dialogue would take place.

“For next season, the season tickets have not been sold in the corner of the Govan stand, where the allocation was previously.

“So for next season we do have the opportunity should we decide to restore that allocation of about 700-800, that’s our maximum for next season.

“Beyond that it’s a broader conversation. We need to have that dialogue with those stakeholders because there’s a lot of different views on it.”

Celtic fans had traditionally occupied the Broomloan Stand at Ibrox for Old Firm clashes, with Rangers supporters housed in the corner of the Main Stand and Jock Stein Stand at Celtic Park.

Bisgrove said: “We’ll take the decision that is right for Rangers and is right for our supporters.

“I think the question was, ‘is there the chance to go back to the traditional allocation of 8,000?’ I think that’s very unlikely at the moment.

“We need to see where the conversations go. But I don’t think that is imminent at the moment.”

The Viaplay Cup final and the Scottish Cup semi-final between Rangers and Celtic this season were played at Hampden Park with a 50-50 split of tickets.

Marco Silva praised Roy Hodgson’s impact at Crystal Palace since his return, which has seen the Eagles find their feet in front of goal and climb the Premier League table.

Hodgson, who took over from Patrick Vieira in March, has steered the Eagles to safety with five wins in eight matches. There has also been an upturn in attacking output, with the south London club scoring 15 goals since their 4-1 defeat to Arsenal two months ago.

Fulham boss Silva talked up Palace’s improved attacking form, attributing it to the confidence former England boss Hodgson has instilled in his squad since his arrival.

https://twitter.com/FulhamFC/status/1659151853245038593?s=20

“The new manager impact for sure (has helped them in front of goal) because they are in a good moment,” Silva said ahead of Saturday’s clash between the teams at Craven Cottage.

“It was a matter of confidence for them to find goals because they have the quality, the talent up front, to punish any team in this league.

“When they won the first game under Roy (Hodgson) and then the second, the confidence came again on different levels and they’re now expressing themselves, you can feel during the matches.

“The way some of their players are playing right now you can feel they are full of confidence.”

Silva’s side dismantled Palace 3-0 at Selhurst Park in December but the Fulham boss admitted he expects a different challenge on Saturday as he highlighted the form of their young players.

Eagles top goalscorer Eberechi Eze has netted six goals in eight games, including a brace in last week’s 2-0 victory over Bournemouth, and Silva is aware of their attacking threat.

Silva added: “They also have the quality there, (Michael) Olise, Eze, (Wilfried) Zaha, (Odsonne) Edouard, the support they have from the midfielders.

“With the players they have they can go on, I think they have a lot of individual quality in the attacking line.

“You can see the young talents who have the experience already in the Premier League to create many problems for the opposition every time.

“They have some very good connections, the players link (with) each other very well and of course some players in the back line too.

“I think it will be a very good game against a good side who will want to keep the same capacity to get points – and we want to do the same.”

The Cottagers have avoided any threat of relegation on their return to the top flight, spending the majority of the campaign in the top half.

Silva, who stated in the summer that his squad “was not ready” for the league, credited his players for their efforts – they are currently only two points off their record Premier League points tally of 53.

He added: “We showed the capacity to adapt in any moment of the season in  what the season demands of ourselves…some moments without our full squad, without some important players for us.”

Frank Lampard has revealed he tried to sign Erling Haaland for Chelsea during his first spell as the manager at Stamford Bridge.

The Manchester City striker came up against Lampard’s team in a pre-season friendly in 2019 while he was playing for RB Salzburg in Austria.

He scored 28 goals in 22 matches that season before signing for Borussia Dortmund the following summer, but Lampard said he attempted to bring him to west London instead during his 18-month spell in charge between 2019 and 2021.

Ultimately competition for the Norway international’s signature, together with the fact not everybody at Chelsea was convinced that a bid for Haaland would have been the right move, meant that Lampard was left frustrated.

His 36 Premier League goals for title-chasing City this season mean he has scored as many times in the league as the entire Chelsea squad have, with the two teams meeting at the Etihad on Sunday as City look for the victory they need to seal the title.

Chelsea by contrast remain in the bottom half of the table, with their struggles in front of goal this season having shown no sign of easing in recent weeks.

“I’ve got huge respect for him as a player, he’s a player I tried to bring to Chelsea the first time I was here,” said Lampard. “I was really keen to get him here but obviously that couldn’t happen. His level at that point was very clear, we played against him in a pre-season game for Salzburg.

“Credit to him, I love seeing players of that level, I love seeing players of that personality and hunger to play and be the best which he’s proved himself to be. In terms of having to deal with him you have to have obviously a plan and an idea, but players of that level can make anything happen at any moment.

“I think he’s special, I thought he’d adapt straight away just (because of) his level. I think with the level of players and his record of scoring, firstly in Austria then for his country and in the Bundesliga – which is not an easy league – to come into a really good unit already.

“The rest is just credit to himself and the team around him. I did expect that, it’s not just an easy hindsight answer, I’ve got real respect for the player.

“I don’t know whether he would have decided to come here anyway but I was a big fan. There are some of those that happen that people don’t know about that could have been this way, people talk a lot about mistakes and the things that could have been in football.

“Whether he would have come I don’t know, but I was pushing big, and for a couple of other players as well. But he was the outstanding one.

“From our point I was pushing it, I’m not sure what the appetite everywhere else in the club was to do it. The competition was big to take him because he was an outstanding player. I think there was a buyout clause at the time which I think was relatively reasonable given the player (he joined Dortmund for around £17million). I don’t have enough detail to say how close it was.”

Lampard has two matches left of his interim spell in charge, with Manchester United at Old Trafford and Newcastle at Stamford Bridge to come after City.

He has won only once during his eight games in the job, a 3-1 victory at Bournemouth earlier in May, with six defeats having come in that time including a Champions League exit to Real Madrid.

Mauricio Pochettino is expected to be confirmed as the permanent successor to Graham Potter, who was sacked on April 2, in the coming days, and he will have a huge rebuild on his hands after a disastrous season for the club.

Despite the poor form, Lampard said he has no regrets about agreeing to take over in the short-term from Potter.

“I have enjoyed it, I get asked it a lot,” he said. “You want to always get results but you have to be realistic in football.  When I came into this, the Champions League dream that everyone talked to me about, (saying) it’s been done before, can we do it again?

“The realistic answer was we were where we were in the league for a reason. Our view was to try and beat Real Madrid then possible City to get to a final. In terms of the rest of the job, it’s been how many small wins can I try and impact behind the scenes. You can’t always impact results.

“Generally there’s a lot of work to do here. I can have a certain impact with certain individuals within the group because I have a big feeling for the club.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has paid tribute to the departing quartet of James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita.

All four will leave when their contracts expire next month and are guaranteed an emotional send-off at Anfield against Aston Villa.

All leave as Champions League and Premier League winners and while Firmino and Milner, who arrived in the summer of 2015 a few months before Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers, have played a greater role, the manager insisted all four had made significant contributions.

“We spoke already with the boys earlier this week about it,” said Klopp.

“It is super-important for us and kind of super-emotional as well for different reasons because we say goodbye to, from my point of view, four Liverpool legends.

“Two of them were here when I arrived – Millie (Milner) and Bobby (Firmino) – and nothing of all the good things which happened in the last few years would have happened without them.

“Bobby, my God, how much I love the guy. It is 100 per cent deserved.

“Millie played an incredible number of games, I think I am the manager he played the most games for in his career, and probably the same for Bobby.

“My English is not good enough to really express my respect for them but that’s the same for Ox (Oxlade-Chamberlain) and Naby, for different reasons.

“Ox was unlucky in moments with bad injuries in absolutely the wrong moment. I remember the (2018 Champions League game) against Roma when he got badly injured and I had no clue how to sort that situation as he was that good and pretty much irreplaceable in that moment.

“Everyone knows we spent a lot of money on Naby and there were a lot of expectations and because of injuries in the wrong moments he couldn’t fulfil all of them but go back and look at the football he could play in his good moments.”

Milner has been heavily linked with a move to Brighton, but the futures of the other three are less clear, although they will not be short of offers.

Klopp added: “I wish them all well and hope they find a place where they are as much respected and needed as here and they find their luck again because they had a lot in the last few years.

“All four won pretty much each available trophy and we love them but it is professional football and nothing is forever.

“There is always a moment and it’s a good moment because it means one chapter will be closed and we can start writing a new one, which is good as well for them and for us.

“I will be forever thankful to them because without them nothing would’ve happened. They were super-important in all they did and that’s the farewell they deserve.”

Pep Guardiola has no plans to celebrate if Manchester City win the title without playing on Saturday and compared closing out the Premier League season to a tennis player serving for Wimbledon glory.

City are on the brink of a fifth top-flight crown in six seasons and it will be confirmed before they next play if challengers Arsenal lose to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Guardiola insists he is not thinking about that prospect, however, and is focusing only on beating Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium to win it on the field themselves on Sunday.

The City manager said: “I don’t think (we’ll be celebrating) because we have a game the day after and Chelsea deserve it.

“In my mind, I’d like to feel we have to win to be champions. This is what we have to think.

“We cannot control Nottingham and it doesn’t matter what happens in Nottingham. We have to do our job and win our game.

“If we can win we can celebrate in the stadium with our people and that would be the best.”

Wrapping up the title this weekend would cap a memorable week in which treble-chasing City reached the Champions League final with a stunning victory over Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Guardiola says there has been little time to celebrate that achievement as he now tries to ensure City, who trailed Arsenal by eight points last month, see out the job in the Premier League.

He said: “Of course we are satisfied to be able to play the Champions League final but it’s non-stop.

“Now is coming the most difficult thing. Tennis players say to serve to win Wimbledon is the most difficult one.

“On Sunday, the game is in our hands to win the most important competition. We’re lucky to have the chance to finish at home with our people. We have to take it.”

Guardiola knows how difficult it can be to cross the line. In April 2018 they had to put celebrations on hold after surrendering a 2-0 lead to lose to Manchester United and last season they risked losing the title to Liverpool on the final day after falling behind to Aston Villa.

Guardiola said: “I have a good memory. When we played against United to win the Premier League, 2-0 up at half-time and we lost the game.

“Against Aston Villa we were 20 minutes away from losing the Premier League at home. So the last one is the most difficult one because there are a lot of emotions and many things.

“You have to control it and be focused. We cannot be distracted right now. We will not forgive ourselves if we are distracted in something.”

Despite those reservations, recent form suggests Guardiola has brought his players to the boil at just the right stage of the season.

Such is their intensity that Guardiola and key player Kevin De Bruyne shouted at each other during the victory over Real Madrid, and the manager says he has no problems with that.

He said: “The action with Kevin, I love it. We shout at each other. I like it. I like this step from Kevin.

“Sometimes, in some games, it’s a little bit flat and I like this energy. This is what we need from him. After that he becomes the best.

“It is not absolutely personal. These things must happen to be competitive and be a good team.”

Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil has challenged his side to continue pushing for points ahead of Saturday’s clash with Manchester United.

Despite being in the mix for relegation for most of the season, the Cherries secured Premier League survival last weekend and they now sit 14th in the table with 39 points.

Their survival bid saw them pick up some vital wins, including memorable victories against Tottenham and Liverpool.

They now face a tricky test against a United side pushing for Champions League football, but O’Neil believes the game offers a perfect opportunity for his team to respond to last weekend’s 2-0 defeat by Crystal Palace.

He told a pre-match press conference: “We’ve lost our last two games so 39 points is a good tally, but it was better two weeks ago so we’ve been stuck on it for a couple of weeks.

“We set ourselves a goal and we’ve achieved it, but does that mean that we’re just happy to just stop, park up and finish on 39 points? Definitely not.

“Last weekend was a good reminder that if you drop your level a little bit, it can look like a lot at this level; the Premier League is ruthless.

“We’re looking for a response from last weekend and Manchester United at home is a great fixture for the boys to go and show what they can do.

“We’ve got full focus on Manchester United, we’ve managed to get some good work done on preparing for what is going to be a very tough game against a good side that are still pushing hard to make sure they qualify for the Champions League.

“It’ll be a good test for us tomorrow.”

Jefferson Lerma could be involved on Saturday and is expected to wear protection after breaking his nose against Crystal Palace, while Hamed Traore is still ruled out.

O’Neil also confirmed that Antoine Semenyo has undergone surgery to a shin injury and is hoping for a “speedy recovery” ahead of pre-season.

“Antoine has had surgery so he will be out until next season,” O’Neil said.

“We’re hopeful he gets back and can have a decent little spell with the team before the season starts but it will depend on how quickly he recovers.

“Everything went well and we’re hoping he has a speedy recovery because he can be a big help again for us next season.”

Lee Johnson is hoping to remain at Hibernian “for the long haul” after coming through a roller-coaster first year as manager with his team firmly in contention to qualify for Europe.

The 41-year-old former Bristol City and Sunderland boss has the Edinburgh club fifth in the cinch Premiership, just a point off fourth place, with three games of his maiden campaign in charge remaining.

Johnson has had to deal with a dire run of injuries to key players, a major overhaul of the recruitment structure, and some patchy runs of form, as well as the death of owner Ron Gordon in February.

However, he is relishing his role at Easter Road and is eager to oversee sustained improvement in the coming years.

“I would love to be here for the long haul,” Johnson said on Friday, the first anniversary of his appointment. “I think it’s a brilliant club. The staff are fantastic, I like the dynamic at Easter Road and HTC (Hibs Training Centre).

“I feel like we’ve still got a lot to do, we’re not finished. A lot of that is finance permitting but success on the pitch brings greater finance and the great thing about this club is that there’s no money ever being taken out.

“It all replenishes and goes back into the right places for the good of the club in the long term. And I am a long-term manager. I’m not one of those that comes in as a quick firefighter and then I’m gone.

“I feel like sustained progression is very important for the long-term future of the club and that’s how I try and perform as a manager, by making the right decisions on a daily basis for the short, medium and long term.”

Asked for his reflections on his first year at Hibs, Johnson said: “There’s probably a book in there, or certainly a chapter. I think we’re progressing, I genuinely do.

“It was a more difficult job than I anticipated looking at it from afar. When you’re then in the building you see there are a lot of good people but a lot of systems and processes that needed to improve.

“We talked a lot about our recruitment (previously) but I think that’s in a good place, well funded, well organised, well structured with good personnel. Recruitment is massive.

“The facilities are great but we’ve just spent £1 million on the pitches at Easter Road and at the training ground. And we’ve got progression in terms of making the top six and scoring more goals.

“Plus, we’ve had a very difficult season in terms of having our money on the pitch and having key players available. Overall, we’ve got ourselves in a position where we can deliver a form of success if we have a good six days next week.

“We’ve got the opportunity to qualify for Europe. I’d love it to have been in third, although that’s a real long shot. Fourth isn’t unrealistic, and fifth – if you’re a betting man – has a good chance, even though there’s a lot to do. We know Celtic have got to do the fifth-place team a favour (by beating Inverness in the Scottish Cup final), therefore we need to go and try to stake a claim for fourth place.”

Hibs have been linked with Wales international midfielder Jonny Williams, who is a free agent after leaving Swindon.

“Jonny’s one that’s out of contract so would naturally come into a club our size’s consideration but at the same time there are so many factors,” said Johnson. “Every player that’s out of contract, including our own, go into that pot of potential availability, and then the player’s got to be affordable, accessible and available.”

Meanwhile, former Blackburn boss Steve Kean has left his role as Hibs’ academy director to become manager of Georgian side Torpedo Kutaisi.

Nottingham Forest groundsman Ewan Hunter and Brentford’s goalkeeping coach Manu Sotelo have been banned and fined by the Football Association following their pre-match altercation in November.

Hunter and Sotelo had an argument ahead of the 2-2 Premier League draw which centred on the length of time clubs are allowed to use the penalty area during their warm-up.

The member of the groundstaff went on to the pitch to move them on, but disrupted a drill.

Bees boss Thomas Frank claimed after the match that Sotelo was injured while Hunter claimed to have his personal safety threatened.

The FA has sanctioned both men, with Hunter banned from the City Ground for two matches, while Sotelu must serve a one-match touchline ban.

A statement from the governing body read: “Nottingham Forest’s grounds manager and Brentford’s goalkeeping coach have been suspended and fined following an incident that happened before their game on Saturday 5 November 2022 in the Premier League.

“Ewan Hunter denied that his behaviour was improper and/or violent, but an independent Regulatory Commission found the charge against him to be proven, and it imposed a two-match stadium ban and £700 fine.

“Manu Sotelo accepted that his behaviour was improper, and the independent Regulatory Commission imposed a one-match touchline ban and £2,000 fine.”

Roy Hodgson feels Wilfried Zaha is unlikely to play again for Crystal Palace this season because of injury, but hopes he will opt to stay on at the club.

The 30-year-old suffered a hamstring problem during last week’s win over Bournemouth and is expected to miss both the trip to Fulham and the final match of the campaign against Nottingham Forest at Selhurst Park.

The Ivory Coast international is out of contract in the summer, but Palace are keen for their talisman forward to agree a new deal, reported to be worth around £200,000 a week.

“The injury seems to be more serious than we would like it to be, so I fear he is not likely to play again this season – but we can only hope,” said Hodgson, whose own future at Selhurst Park remains uncertain past the end of his current interim spell.

“There are so many different grades (of injury), it is a proper strain and if it doesn’t clear up within two weeks, will take longer than that, but it won’t put his long-term future at risk at all.”

Zaha came through the Palace youth ranks and is in his second spell at the club after returning from a move to Manchester United in 2014.

The likes of Arsenal and Marseille are said to be monitoring the situation, but Hodgson hopes Palace will be able to keep him in south London.

“The club has had conversations with him (over a new contract) and those conversations will continue,” Hodgson said.

“I have no idea what the outcome will be, or how advanced they are in one direction or the other.

“All I can hope for as a Palace fan is you will be able to see him playing for Crystal Palace after this season, but I really couldn’t give you an insight or update.”

Hodgson told a press conference: “It is a good club, we have a good team which is getting stronger.

“The potential is big and they can hope next season to do better than we have been able to do this season, so all of those are very good reasons for wanting to stay.

“He has already left a big legacy, his performances over the years, coming through the ranks.

“It is more of a question of how he sees his future and where he like that future to be.”

Hodgson returned for a second spell at Selhurst Park in March following the departure of Patrick Vieira and has overseen five wins to help secure their Premier League status again.

The 75-year-old former England boss remains open to the next chapter of his lengthy coaching career.

“The future will take care of itself and I am happy to let it do so,” he said.

Midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp will not be involved at Fulham as he deals with a personal matter.

Hodgson is looking forward to returning to another of his former clubs, having helped take Fulham to the 2010 Europa League final before leaving to join Liverpool.

“I have been back (to Craven Cottage) a couple of times and have received some sort of warm welcome,” he said.

“It has always been a pleasure to attend a game there and a lot of people that I have worked with are still there.”

Hodgson added: “I have a lot of respect for (Fulham boss) Marco Silva and the way he has worked this year to produce such a good team.

“We will have to be at our best if we are going to achieve what we want with a result from the game.”

Southampton manager Ruben Selles has said he will only stay at the club if he is appointed the permanent manager.

Selles has been in charge since Nathan Jones’ sacking in February but could not steer the Saints away from relegation from the Premier League.

The Spaniard, who was appointed until the end of the season, is keen to get the role on the permanent basis and lead them in the Championship next term, but does not want to work under a new manager.

“The first question of if I want to stay as a coach if I am not the manager…absolutely not,” he said ahead of Sunday’s visit to Brighton.

“If someone has a doubt you can put it there and if they don’t know through me they can read it in the media. I will try to make my career as a manager, here if it is possible and if not here then in another place.

“I don’t think it’s insensitive, it is what it is, if I don’t want people to talk about it I should win more football matches, I know the business, that’s how it is.

“We will talk with the club and make a review after the Liverpool game and that is what I am expecting. Then if the club wants to make any movement with or without me I expect them to communicate with me before being made public.”

The futures of a host of players are in doubt following relegation, with James Ward-Prowse and Kyle Walker-Peters among those most likely to leave in the summer.

Selles says that player departures are inevitable.

“It cannot be avoided that some of the players will be out of the club, especially with the conditions of relegation,” he added.

“You always know that in the transfer market the boys are going to be in and out, it can happen that some of the boys won’t be here next season. Some of those won’t be here, some of them will be, that’s football.”

Saints hope to have striker Che Adams back for the trip along the south coast but defenders Armel Bella-Kotchap (hamstring), Romain Perraud (ankle), Juan
Larios (thigh) and Mohammed Salisu (groin) will not play again this season.

Thomas Frank said Ivan Toney’s future will be at Brentford after the striker was handed an eight-month ban for gambling offences.

The 27-year-old was found by the Football Association to have committed 232 breaches of its betting rules between 2017 and 2021.

It means Brentford’s top scorer will now not play again until January 2024, with the suspension also prohibiting him from working with his team-mates at the club’s training ground until September.

The FA indicated on Thursday it will apply to FIFA to have the ban extended worldwide, thereby ruling out the possibility of Toney being loaned abroad for the duration.

He has scored 20 of Brentford’s 54 Premier League goals this season as well as having made his debut for Gareth Southgate’s England side in what has been a breakthrough year for the former Peterborough forward.

Despite the suspension, Frank indicated that Toney will still have a future at the Gtech Stadium, though the club are awaiting clarification on the finer points of the punishment.

“I’ve been in contact with him. He’s disappointed and sad about the situation,” said Frank. “His future is with Brentford, there’s no doubt about that.

“We are waiting for the information so we know what we can do. What he’s allowed to do, especially for the first four months.

“One thing is for sure, we will do everything to be there for him, support him and be aware of the mental health in it.

“He’s made some mistakes, but we need to be there, and want to be there, for him and help him. We just need to know what we are allowed to do.”

Toney was first charged with 262 betting offences in November and December, with the FA later withdrawing 30 of the charges. He admitted to the remaining 232 in February, but it took a further three months for the punishment to be decided upon.

The charges stretch back to when he was a Newcastle player on loan at Scunthorpe and cover his time at Peterborough and his first years at Brentford.

Frank was asked for his views on the link between football and the gambling industry, particularly since Brentford carry the name of an online gambling site on their shirts.

He said that owing to the length of the ban, it was important that the club consider the mental health implications for the England striker.

“It is a challenge, for me personally, all the advertising for gambling done by clubs (and) individuals in the game, I think that’s an issue,” he said.

“I don’t know the full details of how much support or education the authorities provide. I know the Premier League and FA have a lot of initiatives in place that try to educate people out there.

“Education is the key thing. Across the world, education is the number one thing if you want to change a culture and mindset. That takes a lot of hard work and patience.

“We need to be aware of the mental health in this. Ivan is a footballer but he is also a human being that has family, a partner, young children, a mum and dad, siblings and friends and he has been on the front pages quite a lot.

“We need to do whatever to support him in that aspect.”