Mateo Kovacic: Last News

Chelsea's transfer window, one player that arrived has found himself without a single minute to his name.Denis Zakaria joined from Juventus on deadline day during a frantic summer for the Blues where new owner Todd Boehly flexed his financial muscles. Nearly £300million was spent on the likes of Raheem Sterling, Wesley Fofana and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.But Thomas Tuchel was desperate to see a midfielder brought in and parachuted Zakaria in from Juventus at the 11th hour after injuries to N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic.

Chelsea fans have been left raging at the fact Michail Antonio was not sent off during the Blues’ 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge.West Ham went 1-0 up courtesy of Antonio in the second-half, but conceded two goals to Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz late on. The east Londoners then had a late Maxwel Cornet equaliser chalked off by VAR for a foul on Edouard Mendy.The Hammers faithful were left fuming at the disallowed goal, as well as a kick out by Reece James on forward Antonio which went unpunished.

Chelsea have struck a last-gasp deal with Juventus over the loan signing of Denis Zakaria. It comes amid a frantic search for a defensive midfielder after injuries to N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic with several players looked at. The likes of Ajax star Edson Alvarez and PSV Eindhoven ace Ibrahim Sangare were eyed but neither club wanted to sell.

Video: Liam Payne 'never kicked a football in his life' before joining Soccer Aid (Evening Standard)Jurgen Klopp’s pride is tinged with disappointment after final day dramaRangnick questions team spirit after United defeat in final gameJurgen Klopp not even contemplating dramatic triumph in title raceRory McIlroy was pretty sure Saudi-backed breakaway would not happenFrank Lampard addresses Everton pitch invasions following Patrick Vieira confrontation with fanThomas Tuchel highlights Chelsea ‘miracle’Jurgen Klopp likens Liverpool squad strength to having ‘Ferraris in the garage’Jurgen Klopp rules out Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk for Southampton gameAntonio Conte keen to watch Arsenal’s game in top four scrapMikel Arteta 'looking forward' following Tottenham defeatMark Noble ready for emotional Hammers send-off but says focus must be on pointsKlopp: UEFA should take more of Champions League fund and scrap Nations LeagueAmir Khan announces his retirement from boxingPep Guardiola praises Kevin De Bruyne for scoring four goals against WolvesFloyd Mayweather returns to the boxing ring this weekendChelsea’s Mateo Kovacic set to miss FA Cup final after Dan James challengeLiam's journey from complete novice to soccer captain involved "three months" of training, and he said: "Jumping into football is like a role for me that I get to play for a certain amount of months. "I put my a*s into everything that I do.

LIVE – Updated at 18:18Catch up with the action and the latest Formula One news from the Monaco Grand Prix after the opening day of practice at the iconic circuit in Monte Carlo. The sight of Formula One cars sweeping their way through the Monte Carlo streets is one of the finest in motorsport and it is set to be an important weekend in the title race as defending champion Max Verstappen looks to increase the pressure on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who will be aiming to deliver glory at his home circuit.

Thomas Tuchel watched on as Chelsea moved a step closer to securing a top-four finish to qualify for next season’s Champions League with a 3-0 win over Leeds United at Elland Road.Mason Mount put the visitors in front after just four minutes with an incisive finish as the Blues dominated the early chances. And their task became somewhat more straightforward when Daniel James was dismissed for an ugly challenge on Mateo Kovacic, with Christian Pulisic stroking home in the second half to clinch the win after a flowing team move.Romelu Lukaku rounded off a comfortable victory with a close-range finish to seal the points and put the Blues eight points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham with three games left to play.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel insists Frank Lampard is still a legend at the club - despite failing to cut it as their manager.Tuchel will come up against the man he replaced in the managerial hot seat at Stamford Bridge when his side face Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday looking to pile on the pain for Lampard.The Toffees have slumped into the bottom three of the Premier League - two points behind Burnley, although they do have a game in hand - following a shambolic run of two wins in their last eight league games to find themselves staring relegation from the top flight in the face.Taking the Toffees down would be another black mark on Lampard's managerial CV, after lasting just 17 months in charge of Chelsea. But Tuchel reckons nothing will ever diminish his rival's reputation of greatness at the London club, whatever happens to him in the future.

Who do you think will win the FA Cup this season? Let us know in the commentsOne of the most eye-catching aspects of Chelsea’s recent performances was Tuchel’s utilisation of Ruben Loftus-Cheek as a right-wing-back, right midfield, and right central midfield role hybrid. Fortunately for the Chelsea boss this, well, tripartite deployment of the Englishman was perfectly supported by Reece James’ presence in the back three.But with Loftus-Cheek rested against the Eagles, James was pushed further forward into a much more familiar right-wing-back position, while club captain Cesar Azpilicueta was restored into the back three.

Chelsea look set for an American takeover with Roman Abramovich granted his wish for a bidding war among US investors.Starsport has learned that the majority of the interest in the Stamford Bridge club is now coming from the owners of existing sports franchises in the USA.It is also understood that Abramovich favours selling to a Stateside buyer, having instructed American bank Raine Group to handle the process.Robert "Woody" Johnson, owner of NFL team the New York Jets, is among those preparing a bid, along with Vivek Ranadive , who owns the Sacramento Kings NBA franchise.Manhatten-based private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners, who own a stake in Liverpool, are also in the running.But a Swiss-American consortium headed by Hansjorg Wyss and LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly are unlikely to meet the asking price of more than £3bn.Abramovich is under pressure to sell before he is sanctioned by the UK government, and potential buyers are now scrambling to make a move.Meanwhile, Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic says Chelsea owe Abramovich a huge thank you for putting them on the map - and turning them into a global power.The Blues had only won 13 trophies before the Russian billionaire took over in 2003. They have won 21 since.Will you be sad to see Roman go? Let us know in the comments section.Speaking for the first time since Abramovich announced he was selling the club, Kovacic said: "It was obviously big news.

Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea.The speculative bettor had used a free bet to place a £20 wager on the first domestic final of the season finishing 0-0 with no yellow cards. And as the match approached its conclusion in normal time, things were looking good.

Chelsea have taken a big step towards the next round of the Champions League after they beat Lille 2-0 in the first leg of their knockout tie.It took Kai Havertz just eight minutes to open the scoring after he headed home from Hakim Ziyech's corner to put Chelsea ahead, and Lille were fortunate to go into the break just a goal down.Injuries dominated the early stages of the second half as Mateo Kovacic and Ziyech limped off down the tunnel, but Christian Pulisic alleviated the pressure by adding a second after 63 minutes to give the home side some breathing space.It was a comfortable night for Chelsea, and it could have been a more convincing win if their flow wasn't disrupted early in the second half, but Thomas Tuchel will feel confident heading to Lille with a two-goal advantage against the French Champions.As Chelsea take control of their Champions League knockout tie, here Daily Star Sport takes a look at what Tuchel got right at Stamford Bridge...It was a huge decision by Thomas Tuchel to leave Romelu Lukaku out of the starting line-up against Lille, but it paid off as Chelsea looked fluid in attack in the absence of their summer signing.It was a game to forget on Saturday for Lukaku, who touched the ball just seven times against Crystal Palace, and Tuchel pulled him out of the line-up after vowing to 'protect him' following the backlash from the fans.Although on his day he is their best centre-forward, it provided a lift for the whole team, who seemed to play with more freedom.It appeared to catch Lille off guard too, as centre-back pairing Jose Fonte and Sven Botman were likely preparing to face Lukaku all week, but took time to adjust to the agility of Chelsea's font-three.In the absence of Lukaku from the

West Ham ace Declan Rice has left out best friend and Chelsea sensation Mason Mount from his five-man list of the greatest current Premier League midfielders.The Hammers star has taken the league by storm since breaking onto the scene and is himself already regarded as one of English football’s finest central-midfielders aged just 23.Rice, who has known Mount since his childhood days in the Chelsea academy, did not take pity on his England team-mate when asked by BT Sport to give his five best midfield opponents.Instead, the England star even picked Mount’s own Chelsea midfield partner - Mateo Kovacic.He said: "He [Kovacic] is incredible. You don't really realise how good he is until you play against him.

Chelsea closed the gap on second-placed Liverpool to just a point with a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday night.They took the lead in the 47th minute when Hakim Ziyech cut on to his favoured left foot and whipped a beautiful strike into the top corner, well out of the reach of Hugo Lloris.They then made it two just eight minutes later when Thiago Silva flicked Mason Mount’s free-kick into the far corner to send Stamford Bridge into a frenzy.Spurs fans will certainly feel aggrieved by the result given that Harry Kane had a goal disallowed in the first half for a minuscule push on Silva that sent the Brazilian dramatically flying before slotting past Kepa Arrizabalaga.Chelsea dominated the tie from start to finish and the result never felt in doubt despite the goalless first half.So, what did Blues boss Thomas Tuchel do well to ensure that his side were victorious over their London rivals?Chelsea have flourished since Tuchel’s appointment due to their use of the back three, allowing the wingbacks to bomb forward whilst also having enough numbers in defence to deal with counterattacks.However, the German veered away from his tried and tested system in favour of a 4-3-3 and reaped the benefits.Moving away from the system meant that the Blues weren’t going man for man against Spurs and thus created a lot of space all over the park, having a free man in midfield to drift into those pockets and creates.Defensively, Chelsea didn’t feel the pinch of having a player less in central defence either, with makeshift left-back Malang Sarr covering when required.The Blues created plenty of their chances out wide, which was a smart tactical decision by Tuchel.Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic were both given the licence to roam

Chelsea fans are beginning to get frustrated with Romelu Lukaku after he put in a poor performance against Brighton on Tuesday night. Lukaku struggled to get involved in the Blues’ build-up play on the south coast as the Seagulls hit back to hold them to a 1-1 draw and leave them 12 points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Thomas Tuchel to contend with a Chelsea midfield crisis.Kovacic had only just returned to training after an eight-game absence due to a hamstring injury.The 27-year-old Croatia international will now have to self-isolate for 10 days, meaning he is set to miss another three matches. And he returns to the sidelines alongside several other Blues stars ahead of a busy festive period which sees them play seven games before the end of the year.Crucially, Kovacic is the third central midfielder Tuchel is without, as both N'Golo Kante and Jorginho are injured.Speaking ahead of the final Champions League group game away at Zenit, Tuchel said: "Mateo was in training yesterday with a big smile and was pure pleasure to have him back.

Juventus' starlet Federico Chiesa has sparked fresh rumours of a move to Chelsea as the Italian has followed some of the club's stars on Instagram.The winger has been linked with a move to Thomas Tuchel's side over the summer, and rumours of an £84million move have reemerged.And Chiesa was at Stamford Bridge in the week as his Juve side got battered 4-0 by the Blues.Chiesa currently follows five members of the squad: Christian Pulisic, Mateo Kovacic, Saul Niguez, Kai Havertz, and N'golo Kante.The 24-year-old also follows the official Chelsea account as well as Stamford Bridge alumni Eden Hazard.Roman Abramovich has already dipped his hands into his pockets for a top attacker from Italy this season when he acquired Romelu Lukaku from Inter

Josip Juranovic gets educated by the influence and inspiration of Luka Modric.

Chelsea by Thomas Tuchel after he was handed a surprise start.Saul was signed for a season loan on Transfer Deadline Day from Atletico Madrid to join N'Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic in the Blues' midfield ranks.Although it seemed he would have to bide his time to break past that trio, he was included in the starting XI for the 3-0 win over Aston Villa.Kante was absent through injury and Jorginho was rested after the international break so the Spain international partnered Kovacic in the centre of the park.But it was a debut to forget for Saul who didn't register a single tackle in the first 30 minutes and was hauled off by Tuchel during the break.After the match he took to Instagram to say: "‘Wasn’t the expected debut."Really happy

Mundo Deportivo claim that the Blues made an offer to take Saul on loan with an option to buy earlier this week.But they were keen to make it an obligation to buy instead to ensure they would benefit financially.Saul is also believed to have realised he will be behind N'Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic in the pecking order to play in the two-man pivot, rendering him a much less attractive back-up option.A switch to Chelsea appeared to be Saul's last hope of a move away from Atleti before the end of the window.But he is still thought to be on good terms with manager Diego Simeone, and has started both of their La Liga games so far this season, suggesting he will still get plenty of game time in the Spanish capital.Chelsea boss Thomas

Thomas Tuchel has opted not to give Ross Barkley a shirt number ahead of the new Premier League campaign.Barkley spent last season out on loan at Aston Villa, and after a promising start, he failed to consistently perform for Dean Smith's side.And his hopes of reigniting his career at Chelsea under Tuchel appear to have gone up in smoke.The 27-year-old was used sparingly during pre-season, and he only managed 60 minutes of action across two matches.Barkley previously held the number 8 shirt, however, the Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic has been handed the shirt for the upcoming campaign.Barkley is Chelsea's forgotten man, and he struggled to force his way into the first-team picture after his move from Everton in January 2018.There were

Euro 2020 opener making their clash against Czech Republic pretty much a must win.Though they fell behind after Patrik Schick netted from the penalty spot after Dejan Lovren was judged to have fouled the Czech Republic star.The former Liverpool defender had jumped for a high ball with Schick and drew blood from his opponent with a flailing elbow.The referee did not deem the incident a foul originally though was guided by VAR to take a second look on the pitchside monitor.And following a review of the incident, referee Carlos del Cerro Grande eventually changed his mind and pointed to the spot.The incident was then shown on the big screen at Hampden Park with Croatia players seething following the replay.Lovren, Modric and Mateo Kovacic were