Full Champions League draw: Madrid derby in semis

Real Madrid will do battle __with their city rivals Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.

This will be the fourth successive season the rivals have met in the competition and Atleti have yet to get the better of Los Blancos across that run.

Real won both the 2014 and 2016 finals against their foes from across Madrid, __with Diego Simeone’s men now having the opportunity to exact revenge when the sides meet in the last four.

Monaco and Juventus go head-to-head in the other semi-final clash as the June 3 finale at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium looms large.

The official result of the #UCLdraw!

Who will reach the final? pic.twitter.com/ctmsrrB8ip

— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 21, 2017

The semi-final first legs will be played on May 2 and 3, with Real Madrid and Monaco starting at home in their respective ties.

The return fixtures will be played the following week, when Atletico will be hoping to end their Champions League heartache by finally overcoming their rivals.

Atleti have finished runners-up in the competition on three occasions, whereas Real’s victory last year was their 11th in the competition.

Gareth Bale would love nothing more than to win the competition in his hometown of Cardiff, while Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon will hope to add the trophy that has so far eluded him during his glittering career.

The 39-year-old’s side will be home for the second leg against Monaco, whose young, exciting team knocked out Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals.

Jose Mourinho, a touchline kiss and the big questions

Rojo, row your boat
Who did you think Manchester United’s worst player was against Anderlecht in their Europa League victory on Thursday? Daley Blind? Michael Carrick? Zlatan Ibrahimovic?

All three players do receive a rating of five out of ten from John Cross in the Daily Mirror, as does poor Jesse Lingard. But Cross hands out yet another his worst mark – to another individual.

‘Marcos Rojo – Injured early, bravely carried on but that nearly cost his team’

Yes, Rojo carrying on despite being injured ‘nearly cost’ Manchester United, who looked terrible in defence after he was substituted. They conceded their only goal nine minutes after Blind replaced him.

Into the Woods
You get the sense that most journalists in the country had some sort of article lined up __with regards to Premier League clubs struggling in the Champions League. The demise of England’s final team, Leicester, was the cue to file them.

After Neil Ashton of The Sun put it down to fixture congestion on Thursday, David Woods seeks to find the answer in the Daily Star on Friday.

‘Not so long ago managers whose teams were in the Champions League felt they were in __with a shout of winning it.

‘Not any more. Following years of dismal efforts, summed up this year by Leicester being the only team to reach the quarter-finals, that Champions League confidence has evaporated.’

Sure, English clubs are not quite as dominant as they were from 2005 to 2011, when they had at least one representative in six of the seven finals, but only Spain and Germany have had more semi-finalists since 2012.

Woods continues:

‘Even the last win, by Chelsea in 2012, was hardly done in style, the Blues battling their way to success with breakaway football against Bayern Munich, winning on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

‘Bayern had 21 shots on target, compared to the west Londoners’ six. The German giants had 20 corners, while the Blues had one!’

Crikey. Does anyone in charge at UEFA know that Chelsea’s 2012 Champions League win was ‘hardly done in style’? The victory will surely be annulled when they find out.

Also, no German clubs reached the Champions League semi-final between 2003 and 2010? And they’re doing alright now. Go figure.

Sport or Sporf?
The terrible news of Ugo Ehiogu’s sudden passing at the age of just 44 led to an understandable outpouring of grief towards one of the game’s much-loved figures on Friday.

BBC Sport were at the forefront of the reporting, as ever.

The tributes to the death of Ugo Ehiogu are coming in from around the sporting world.https://t.co/1mJ5ZXzUxV https://t.co/Mu6Rn7WRep

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 21, 2017

What BBC Sport failed to mention in that tweet above was that half an hour earlier, they had posted their own tribute to Ehiogu.

They decided that the best way to respect and remember Ehiogu would be to post his stats from an old computer game.

Screenshots are not necessary here – they are readily available all over Twitter – but the ill-judged nature of the BBC’s reporting has to be seen to be believed.

‘Just look at Ugo Ehiogu’s stats on Championship Manager 2,’ they tweeted, alongside a picture of said stats from said game. ‘What a career the ex-Aston Villa man had.’

And there, ladies and gentlemen, is surely the result of a person working for an organisation that believes ‘Topical event + thing people love = great content’ is the secret to social media.

It is perhaps the greatest example of ‘BBC Sport or BBC Sporf?’ ever, and that is doing a disservice to the numerous ‘banter’ social media accounts who display better judgement than to mourn someone’s death by posting their stats from a 20-year-old computer game.

What makes BBC’s stance on this even stranger – and they have yet to apologise for the tweet, for what it’s worth – is that they are not as click-driven for profits as any other outlet. This is purely a terrible attempt at producing shareable ‘content’ for an audience that they have misjudged terribly.

But hey, outrage is king, and engagement figures on social media are the be all and end all. Tastefulness and respect is for idiots.

Mail order
The headline on the front of the MailOnline website:

‘What was Jose’s mystery note? United boss Mourinho spotted KISSING a piece of paper just before Rashford’s Anderlecht winner’

The headline in the story:

‘Marcus Rashford nets the winner just moments after Jose Mourinho kisses mystery piece of paper as Manchester United beat Anderlecht at Old Trafford’

Amount of times said piece of paper is referred to in the article: Once.

Amount of times MailOnline answer their own question of ‘What was Jose’s mystery note?’: Zero.

Amount of clicks MailOnline get for essentially writing another match report sold on a spurious and unanswered question in the headline: Loads.

Mirror, Mirror
Headline on the front of the Daily Mirror website:

‘What is Mourinho’s lucky charm? Man United boss spotted kissing item moments before winning goal’

The headline in the story:

‘What is Jose Mourinho’s lucky charm? Manchester United boss spotted kissing item moments before winning goal’

Oh look, they’ve added a ‘Jose’ and a ‘chester’. Get you.

Amount of times said ‘lucky charm’ is referred to in the article: Twice.

Amount of times Mirror Football answer their own question of ‘What was Jose’s mystery note?’: That depends as to whether you deem ‘The charm appeared to be a small book, that looked to have writing on the left-hand side, which he took a short look at’ as an appropriate answer.

Amount of clicks Mirror Football get for essentially writing another match report sold on a spurious and unanswered question in the headline: Loads.

You gotta have faith
Luckily for Mediawatch and those who hate being asked questions by people who don’t properly answer them, Mourinho discussed his piece of paper/lucky charm after the match. Because that is football journalism.

“It is not because of this that we score,” he joked. “I do it so many times, maybe you just saw it today. I do it for 17 years. It’s just my religion and faith.”

It isn’t “religion and faith” Jose, mate. It’s intrigue and clicks. Fool.

Knock it off, Nigel
Reads the first paragraph to John Cross’s interview with Nigel Winterburn in the Daily Mirror:

‘Nigel Winterburn is worried that Arsenal have lost their winning mentality.’

Mediawatch is worried that Nigel Winterburn is about ten years behind everyone else with that belief.

Recommended reading of the day
Miguel Delaney on Tottenham.

Seb Stafford-Bloor on Mousa Dembele.

Steve Price on a stadium with ski jumps.

Everton ready to make ‘big investments’

Everton chief executive Robert Elstone says the club will be making “big investments” in the summer.

Ronald Koeman has targeted a place in the Champions League over the next few years and this summer the club have stated that this summer will be “really important” for strengthening the squad.

In an interview __with Radio City Talk, Elstone said: “It’s really important big summer for us and the club will continue to make big investments, the squad will continue to grow and improve and it will be a very busy and exciting summer for Everton fans.

“Looking back at the last summer transfer window, the transfer window changed enormously.

“Transfer fees went through the roof and wages went through the roof and I think more of the same will happen.

“What we’ve got to do is operate in that window as we always have done, looking out for best value and being as good as we can in terms of negotiating and getting the best bang for our buck in that sense.”

Everton are believed to be at the front of the queue to sign Burnley’s Michael Keane after holding talks over a £20million summer move.

And the arrival of majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri last year will help Koeman financially as he bids to find the best talent out there, but Elstone was quick to point out that Everton are way behind some of the Premier League’s big spenders.

“A lot of fans have been thinking there’s been a pivotal moment, Mr Moshiri joining the club was a special moment but that ambition has always been there ever since I’ve been at Everton,” added Elstone.

“Every single penny we’ve had has gone into creating and developing and putting the best 11 players on the pitch.

“What has happened across the whole of the Premier League is that we’ve got an amazing new TV deal which means that every single club is considerably better off and undoubtedly __with Mr Moshiri standing behind us and providing funds is giving us that extra confidence.

“The strategy has always been there, the ambition has always been there, finally we’re getting the wherewithal to live up to that.

“The gap between Everton in seventh and some of the clubs above us who have been playing in the Champions League regularly is absolutely enormous.

“We’re £30-40million behind Tottenham in terms of wage bill, we’re about a third of what some of the other teams above us are behind and about a quarter of Manchester City and Chelsea.

“That gap is absolutely enormous but there’s a belief within the club that it’s not just about money.

“With a great manager with a great youth development system and great spirit, Leicester proved it – and we’ve definitely got better resources than Leicester – we believe we can kick on and take the club into the top four and take the club forward.”

Mourinho fears worst over Zlatan and Rojo

Jose Mourinho fears the worst after Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo were forced off __with serious-looking injuries as Manchester United reached the Europa League semi-finals.

Having impressively beaten Premier League leaders Chelsea on Sunday, United were made to sweat by Anderlecht after Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s early strike was cancelled out by an equaliser from skipper Sofiane Hanni.

The tie was eventually settled in extra-time by man-of-the-match Marcus Rashford as a breathless quarter-final second leg ended 2-1 at Old Trafford, seeing Mourinho’s men through 3-2 on aggregate.

But victory came at a cost as increasingly important defender Rojo left the field on a stretcher in the first half, before top scorer Ibrahimovic’s knee buckled after landing awkwardly just before extra-time.

Asked about the condition of the pair, Mourinho said: “I want to wait, but my feeling is not good for both.

“I want to wait and try to be optimistic, but I am not.”

Ex-England defender Ugo Ehiogu dead at 44

Former England and Aston Villa defender Ugo Ehiogu has died aged 44, Tottenham have announced.

Ehiogu, Spurs’ Under-23 coach, collapsed on Thursday at the club’s training centre before being rushed to hospital.

But the former Villa, Middlesbrough and Rangers defender died in the early hours of this morning.

It is __with immense sadness that we announce the passing of Ugo Ehiogu, our Under-23 coach. pic.twitter.com/sSU0yqVfyk

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 21, 2017

His former clubs including Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Rangers and West Brom were among those to pay tribute to a player described as an uncompromising defender on the field and a gentleman off it.

Ehiogu’s former Villa team-mate Lee Hendrie told Sky Sports News: “To find out he has passed away, it must be devastating for his family.

“Ugo was such a character. He has always been that bubbly character. He was just a great guy to have around.”

Current Villa manager Steve Bruce also paid tribute to Ehiogu, describing the centre-back as a “bargain” signing by former Villa Park boss Ron Atkinson in 1991.

Bruce told a press conference ahead of Villa’s derby against Birmingham on Sunday: “I played against him. Big Ron bought him for £45,000 – what a bargain. He was a great player.”

Stoke manager Mark Hughes also played against Ehiogu and remembered what it was like to face the defender.

Hughes said: “He was a big strong guy, a big athlete, and you knew when you went up against him it was always going to be a difficult game. That is why, when these things happen, it is even more shocking, because you remember them in their prime. It is a real shame.”

Villa, for whom Ehiogu played more than 300 games, tweeted: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of our former defender Ugo Ehiogu.

“Our thoughts are __with his family at this terribly sad time.”

The club added: “We will be holding a minute’s applause before our derby with @BCFC…

“Both sets of players will wear black armbands as a mark of respect.”

Tottenham forward Shayon Harrison, who was coached by Ehiogu at the club, added his own tribute.

Harrison, who is on loan at Yeovil, wrote: “One of the most genuine, and caring people I’ve ever met. An honour to have been taught by you, not only as a player, but as a person. 🙏🏽UE”

Former Tottenham and England defender Sol Campbell tweeted: “One of my East London mates of old. Ugo Ehiogu true defender my heart goes out to his family. I just can’t believe it!”

Trevor Sinclair, the former England, QPR and West Ham winger, said on Twitter: “Absolutely devastated to hear Ugo Ehiogu has died! Thoughts and prayers with his family and loved ones 🙏🏾 such a lovely gentleman RIP

Ehiogu played four times for England and was also part of the coaching team for England Under-20s at the 2013 World Cup in Turkey.

Football Association chairman Greg Clarke said: “We’re devastated to hear the news that Ugo Ehiogu has passed away. Our thoughts and sympathies are with all lucky enough to know him.

“A hugely popular figure across English football but particularly at Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, he was also close to many at Wembley and St George’s Park through his England connections – both as a player and as a coach.

“He will be much missed by the game he served so well.”

Middlesbrough, where Ehiogu played over 100 times, tweeted: “MFC are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of our former player Ugo Ehiogu. Our thoughts go out to Ugo’s friends and family.”

West Brom, where Ehiogu began his career, tweeted: “The thoughts of everyone at #WBA are with the family and friends of Ugo Ehiogu, who started his career at The Hawthorns. Rest in peace.”

Rangers said in a statement: “Rangers Football Club is shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of former defender Ugo Ehiogu.

“The 44-year-old Englishman joined the Light Blues when Walter Smith returned as manager in 2007 and made a huge impact in his short time in Glasgow – notably his winning goal at Celtic Park in the derby.

“He died after suffering a heart attack at Tottenham’s training ground and everyone associated with the club sends their sincere condolences to Ugo’s family and friends at this difficult time.”

Ex-United coach suggests De Gea and Bale swap

Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen believes the club should ask Real Madrid for Gareth Bale in exchange for David De Gea.

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is expected to target a new goalkeeper for next season after current first choice Keylor Navas has been at guilty of numerous errors this year.

And Madrid have reportedly set their sights on the Red Devils’ number one once again after a faulty fax machine stopped the La Liga side signing De Gea on transfer deadline day in the summer of 2015.

However, Meulensteen, former right-hand man to Sir Alex Ferguson, has said the quoted £60million shouldn’t be enough to convince his former employers to sell.

Speaking to TalkSport, the 53-year-old said: “You can’t stop the speculation – it won’t go away.

“As a manager you have to say, ‘OK, what is really the case here __with De Gea? Does he want to go? Is he going? What is the best scenario for us?

“The speculation has been there now for three years and Manchester United and Jose Mourinho have to make sure, if it is the case [Real Madrid want him], what is the best outcome for Manchester United?

“For instance, they say ‘Ok, you get De Gea, we want Bale’. There has to be something where Manchester United come out of it even better.”

United have been linked __with a move for Bale since his Tottenham days and, according to former boss David Moyes, the Red Devils attempted to pip Madrid to his signature in 2013, offering £85million.

Reports have emerged again this year linking Bale to a return to the Premier League, with both Manchester United and Chelsea allegedly ready to break the world record transfer fee to bring the forward back to England.

Jesus may rise to Wembley occasion, Stones out

Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus is back in contention for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal at Wembley but defender John Stones is out.

Brazil international Jesus has been sidelined since breaking a bone in his foot in February but returned to training earlier this month.

Stones has failed to recover from the muscle injury that ruled him out of last week’s game at Southampton and he could also be doubtful for next Thursday’s derby against Manchester United.

Jesus, 20, made a big impact after joining City from Palmeiras in January, hitting three goals in five appearances and briefly displacing top scorer Sergio Aguero from the team.

He has missed the last 12 games after breaking a metatarsal in City’s victory at Bournemouth on February 13.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, manager Pep Guardiola said: “He is really much better.

“Today he will make part of the training __with us and he is coming back __with his happiness. We are so happy he is coming back again.

“We are going to travel, all the squad to Wembley. He will be part of that. After that we will see.”

Asked if he had ruled out starting with Jesus, Guardiola said: “No.”

England centre-back Stones missed the 3-0 Premier League win at Southampton last Saturday after pulling up injured in training.

Guardiola has said the problem is not overly serious but he could miss both key games in the coming week.

The rearranged derby against United could be important in the battle for Champions League qualification.

Guardiola said of Stones: “The problem is muscular, (he was hurt) one day in a training session. He is out for Wembley. Maybe he will come back for United but I don’t know right now.”

FA Cup semi-finals: Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City combined XI

Don't miss a second of the FA Cup semi-final action this weekend, with Chelsea v Tottenham and Arsenal v Manchester City live on talkSPORT.

Nerves will be starting to appear among supporters and to ramp up the excitement we've assembled a combined XI featuring the best players, right now, from the four teams competing.

Scroll through the gallery above to check out who has made the cut in talkSPORT's combined FA Cup semi-final line-up.

Transfer news: Leaving the Premier League in summer 2017? Nine stars linked with departures

The transfer rumours are hotting up with less than eight games of the Premier League season remaining.

Some of the world's top talents __have been linked with moves to England, with huge amounts of money expected to be spent.

But some players will be going the other way, leaving one of the world's best leagues.

talkSPORT has taken a look at nine players reportedly set to leave these shores for pastures new.

Click the right arrow, above, starting with Zlatan Ibrahimovic...

Premier League bargain buys: Ranking every top-flight club's *CURRENT* best value-for-money signing

Liverpool team news: Lucas Leiva and Joel Matip OUT? Predicted XI to face Crystal Palace in Premier League

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is sweating on the fitness of Joel Matip, Ragnar Klavan and Lucas Leiva ahead of the clash with Crystal Palace at Anfield.

The trio __have not trained this week due to injury and if none manage to make it, Klopp faces the prospect of giving 19-year-old Joe Gomez his first Premier League start since September 2015, having missed most of last season after a knee operation.

The former Charlton defender has featured in three FA Cup games for the Reds this term - twice v Plymouth in the third round and the other v Wolves.

Adam Lallana [groin] is currently undergoing outdoor work with the club's rehabilitation coach and is expected to return to team training next week but there is no comeback date yet pencilled in for fellow midfielder Jordan Henderson.

The Merseysiders, third in the Premier League, will be hoping to boost their hopes of a top-four finish, as well as extending their unbeaten run to seven matches.

With the injuries in mind, click the right arrow, above, to see Liverpool's predicted XI [4-3-3] in squad number order...

Burnley midfielder Joey Barton appears at Football Association hearing over betting charges

Burnley midfielder Joey Barton is appearing before a Football Association commission on Friday in relation to betting charges.

The 34-year-old was charged with misconduct in December relating to 1,260 bets placed over a 10-year period and his original hearing in March was postponed after a member of the commission was ill on the day.

Barton's case will now be heard on Friday, two days before the Clarets face Manchester United at Turf Moor, and a lengthy ban could follow - though no direct precedent exists.

Burnley had agreed to re-sign Barton prior to Christmas, three days before his FA charge came to light, and he rejoined the Premier League side when the window reopened in January.

That deal only runs until the summer and contractual provisions were made for the possibility of a hefty ban when he signed for the east Lancashire club.

Barton, who helped the Clarets to promotion last season, has played 17 times for Sean Dyche's side since the turn of the year, scoring the winner against Southampton in his first game back at Turf Moor.

"We'll just __have to wait and see what comes out of it," Dyche said of the hearing on Friday.

"It's something that is ongoing between himself, his team and the FA. We'll __have to wait and see what comes of that."

Walter Mazzarri warns Watford players not to relax after reaching 40 point mark ahead of trip to Hull City

Watford boss Walter Mazzarri has warned his players not to relax as they head into the final six matches of the Premier League season all but safe.

The Hornets travel to relegation-threatened Hull on the back of beating fellow strugglers Swansea 1-0 last weekend, which moved them onto 40 points.

Traditionally, that mark has proved enough to retain top-flight status, and sees the Hertfordshire club 12 clear of the scrap for survival and also still with a game in hand on third-bottom Swansea.

Mazzarri accepts it would be easy for his team to already imagine themselves on their summer breaks, but wants complete focus for the run-in as he evaluates plans for next season.

"It is not easy to motivate the players after the win on Saturday, they might feel safe," the Italian said.

"I hope to manage to get into their heads everything that we __have spoken about in the week (during training).

"I was a player once, unfortunately, subconsciously, if you reach your target you relax, so I am curious to see what is going to happen when we play on Saturday."

Mazzarri added at a press conference: "There are concepts that I __have tried to instill since I first got here - that players give the best every match, don't look at the table.

"Now, we have got six finals and they need to give the best and also in these six matches I will see who's going to stay next season."

Mazzarri is not taking Hull's challenge lightly, with Marco Silva's side having pulled themselves back out of the bottom three, albeit having lost the past two matches away to Manchester City and Stoke.

"They won against important teams; Bournemouth, Liverpool, West Ham and Swansea. If we look at the home record and the points they have at home they are in a good way," the Watford boss said.

Captain Troy Deeney was restored to the Watford line-up against Swansea after being named on the bench at Tottenham.

Mazzarri sees no reason why he and the 10-goal forward should have any issues over selection.

"Troy has been on the bench only three times. When I make the choice, I only do it thinking about the team. Many times in my career I've named the captain on the bench but I always make my decision with the interest of the squad," he added.

"John Terry has been at Chelsea for 20 years and is the captain. He has been on the bench, but that doesn't mean they don't respect him or they don't listen to him.

"My relationship with the player doesn't change if I pick him or don't pick him."

Transfer BLOW! Crystal Palace and Watford target Khouma Babacar wants to win trophies with Fiorentina before he considers exit

Crystal Palace and Watford target Khouma Babacar has his heart set on winning trophies with Fiorentina before leaving the club.

The striker is a target for the Premier League pair after impressing in Italy this season with 11 goals in all competitions.

Crystal Palace and Watford __have been tracking the 24-year-old for a year and they are ready to move for him this summer.

But they may now think twice about swooping for the Senegal international as he has revealed his hunger to win trophies with La Viola.

"Fiorentina are worth much more than than the current league position," Babacar told Gazzetta dello Sport

"Sometimes we __have shown it. My first aim is to stay in Florence and win a trophy wearing this shirt.

"Only after focusing on this achievement could I think of going in search of new challenges. Florence is my home."

Mark Hughes convinced Saido Berahino will start scoring for Stoke City before the end of the season

Stoke boss Mark Hughes has emphasised his confidence that Saido Berahino will soon be scoring goals for the club.

Berahino's wait for his first goal for the Potters, who he joined from West Brom in January, extended to a 10th appearance with Saturday's 3-1 home win over Hull.

The 23-year-old forward made his sixth straight start in the game and was substituted by Hughes in the 58th minute, shortly after the visitors had equalised.

The decision to withdraw Berahino was booed by some Stoke fans, but the call was subsequently vindicated as his replacement Peter Crouch put the hosts 2-1 up by heading home a cross from Jonathan Walters, who had also come on just before the hour mark.

Asked about that at his press conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Swansea, Hughes said: "My interpretation is that a number of people didn't agree with my decision to take him off.

"I just felt we needed to change our approach.

"My view was that Jon and Peter would give the opposition a different problem. You want your subs to __have an impact and you __have to say they did.

"It wasn't a reflection on how Saido was playing - far from it, because I thought he had one of his more effective games.

"But I just thought we had got to a point in the game where we needed to change things around."

Berahino arrived at Stoke having not played first-team football since September, a spell out of action at West Brom that included an eight-week Football Association ban after he tested positive for a recreational drug.

Hughes added on Friday: "I think everybody can see he is getting stronger. He needs a goal, which is what all strikers need, just to settle into a club.

"He's been close in recent weeks and it's only a matter of time.

"He will score goals before the end of the season, we are convinced of that - and even if he doesn't he is going to be in great shape for next year.

"We were always of the view that next season would be when he could really hit the ground running, with a full pre-season behind him.

"But we've been really pleased with what he has produced up to this point and he is continuing to progress.

"He will probably be disappointed when the season ends, because he's only just starting to get going."

Hughes is hopeful of having two midfielders back available for this weekend's contest in his native Wales, in compatriot Joe Allen - a former Swansea player - and Glenn Whelan.

The pair have trained this week after missing the Hull match due to a hamstring problem and virus respectively.

Goalkeeper Jack Butland was an unused substitute against the Tigers, returning to the matchday squad for the first time since fracturing his ankle just over a year ago.

And Hughes said regarding the goalkeeper's chances of playing on Saturday: "There is a possibility.

"He will get game time at some point before the end of the season - we'll see how he goes today."

Saturday's match is a second in a row for 11th-placed Stoke against an outfit battling for their Premier League lives, with Swansea currently lying 18th, two points adrift of 17th-placed Hull, with five games left to play.

Ronald Koeman has no intention of adding huge numbers to squad with Everton guaranteed European football next season

Everton manager Ronald Koeman is unconcerned about the prospect of balancing the demands of European and domestic football without a huge squad.

With his side guaranteed seventh place plans can start being made for a return to the Europa League after a two-year absence.

However, Koeman has no intentions of bolstering his squad with a huge number of new arrivals in the summer in order to cope with the increased demands and will instead look to manage his resources.

"I know what we would like to do but we will wait to see if it is possible," said Koeman of his recruitment plans.

"We know we will __have competition from bigger clubs and it will be difficult but the direction Everton is running in and what we did for this season and what we would like to do for the next is an interesting project.

"We did a session Thursday morning with 17 outfield players; most of the teams they __have 24, 25, 26 players.

"I am not the sort of manager to have that number of players because it is really difficult to keep the spirit in all the players when they don't have any possibility to start.

"It is better to use young players."

Koeman had a season in the Europa League with Southampton last year, but they failed to get out of the group stage after just two wins in six matches.

That European campaign began on July 30 and Everton face a similar prospect should they not improve on their current seventh place.

"It is good for the club, the fans and for the experience of the players," he added.

"We know it is Thursday evening-weekend (matches) but we will try to have a strong squad for next season.

"We know now at least we have finished seventh in the table and that is normally qualification rounds for the Europa League so we have to be prepared in the number of players to battle in all competitions but that is a challenge.

"I am not afraid of that because that is what everyone likes to have is football in Europe."

There is still a chance to avoid the early qualification European rounds but that will require them to catch sixth-placed Arsenal, level on points with two matches in hand, or even Manchester United, three points ahead having played two matches fewer

For that to happen Everton need to improve their away form, which has seen them win just four of 16 matches, with three of their five remaining games on the road.

Despite the assurance of seventh place Koeman will not throw caution to the wind however.

"My meeting with the players is no different from when we play away to when we play at home," he said.

"When the players play in front of their own fans they find themselves a little bit more comfortable but we go to West Ham and they still need points for this season.

"We can show we have a strong team and can play away from home in the same way we like to play at home and we will take up the challenge of trying to win all of our remaining games.

"Of course a top-five finish is still an incentive. It is our target; we know it's really difficult and a battle between Everton, Arsenal and Manchester United.

"The last game of the season is Arsenal v Everton and if we are still in the hunt, then to beat them will be really nice."

Chelsea v Tottenham in the 1967 FA Cup final: Watch colour footage of the game

Chelsea v Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-final is live on talkSPORT at 17:15 (GMT) on Saturday 22 April.

Goals from Jimmy Robertson and Frank Saul sealed a memorable win in the first all-London FA Cup final 50 years ago, as Spurs beat Chelsea 2-1.

Bobby Tambling scored the Blues' goal towards the end, but it was not enough to prevent Tottenham winning a third FA Cup final of the decade.

Alan Mullery, who lined up for Spurs in 1967, was full of praise for club captain, the late Dave Mackay. "As we were lining up to come out from that tunnel, he was throwing a ball up the wall and heading it backwards and forwards again and then standing behind him [was] me," he told tottenhamhotspur.com. "He said, ‘these are a load of kids, you know’ and we went out and beat them.

"He couldn’t even think of losing, he was so strong in doing what he was doing and the marvellous footballer that he was."

Robertson shared these views about his skipper. "Dave was just unbeatable and if you were in the same team as him, you had more than half a chance,” he said revealing the confidence Mackay instilled in his team-mates.

“We played against Tony Hateley up front," Mike England added. "When you marked them they were a bit of a handful at that time but on the day we took care of them. To get one over on Chelsea, we loved that!”

Tottenham line-up
Pat Jennings (GK), Joe Kinnear, Cyril Knowles, Alan Mullery, Mike England, Dave Mackay (c), Jimmy Robertson, Jimmy Greaves, Alan Gilzean, Terry Venables, Frank Saul

Chelsea line-up
Peter Bonetti (GK), Allan Harris, Eddie McCreadie, John Hollins, Marvin Hinton, Ron Harris (c), Charlie Cooke, Tommy Baldwin, Tony Hateley, Bobby Tambling, John Boyle

Transfer news: Former Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen set for Barcelona return after Roma decide against permanent deal

Former Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen is set to return to Barcelona this summer after loan club Roma passed up the option to land him permanently.

With first-team chances at the Nou Camp scarce for the centre-back, he decided to join Roma on a season-long loan deal last summer but it has not gone to plan for the 31-year-old.

Vermaelen has managed just four Serie A starts in yet another injury-affected campaign for the Belgian.

So it is no surprise that, according to reports in Italy, Roma __have decided against signing him on a permanent basis with a return to Barcelona now on the cards.

However, it is unclear what the future holds for Vermaelen, who has played just 11 La Liga games in his two seasons at Barca following his move from Arsenal in 2014.

Swansea boss Paul Clement insist squad has the appetite to win their survival battle ahead of must-win Stoke City match-up

Paul Clement insists his Swansea players __have the stomach for their Premier League relegation fight.

Swansea face Stoke on Saturday back in the bottom three and two points adrift from safety with five games to play.

Clement's appointment at the start of the year saw a marked improvement in form with five wins from his first eight games.

It was a run which saw the former Bayern Munich number two named the Premier League's manager of the month for January, but one point from the last six matches has put Swansea in real relegation danger again.

Asked if Swansea __have the appetite to win their survival battle, Clement replied: "100 per cent. I've seen the players battling and going hammer and tongs in training this week.

"They know how important the Stoke game is and what is needed.

"The intensity in training has been there. If I had seen something different in terms of mood - flat or lack of belief - I would be worried. But I am not.

"I know there has been frustration from the fans, but I have seen some positive signs. We all have the belief we will stay up."

The importance of beating Stoke is not lost on Clement with Swansea's next two games being at Manchester United and at home to in-form Everton.

Swansea's final two games are at bottom-placed Sunderland and at home to West Brom.

Hull, who are two points better off than Swansea in 17th position, have a kinder-looking run-in, starting at home to mid-table Watford on Saturday.

"The fact that Hull are at home to Watford, a game I believe they will win, means Stoke is a must-win game for us," Clement said.

"As we stand, it is out of our hands. If us and Hull win all our remaining five games - which is a big task - there is nothing we can do.

"But it is unlikely we will both win every game.

"I think we are going to need three wins and maybe another point (to survive), and we have still got to hope they falter."

Clement admits it has been difficult to identify the reasons for Swansea's slide after overseeing such a dramatic turnaround at the start of his tenure.

But he has urged his players to handle the pressure during the final weeks of the season.

"Myself, the staff and the players have looked a lot at all the games that have gone by," Clement said.

"The process has been the same as when we were winning games.

"It is a complex situation and the problems are not easy to resolve.

"The players have not responded particularly well over last five or six games when the pressure has been there.

"But I have reinforced this point that we have to play under this pressure. Because if we keep performing the way we are the pressure will be gone in those last two or three games."

Europa League semi-final draw: Manchester United face Celta Vigo, Ajax to play Lyon

Manchester United will face Celta Vigo in the Europa League semi-finals.

England's final European representative were made to sweat by Anderlecht on Thursday night, with Marcus Rashford eventually settling a breathless quarter-final second leg 2-1 after extra-time, seeing the Reds through 3-2 on aggregate.

United stumbled a step closer to the Stockholm final and will __have to up their game in the semi-finals after being drawn against Celta Vigo - who __have impressed in Europe and in the Spanish league this season.

The Red Devils face a trip to Spain for the first leg on May 4 before welcoming Celta to Old Trafford on May 11.

Ajax face Lyon in the other semi-final, as the final four clubs in the competition vie for a place in the May 24 showpiece at Stockholm's Friends Arena.

United's opponents sit 10th in LaLiga and progressed from the quarter-finals after following up a 3-2 home win against Genk by drawing Thursday's second leg 1-1 in Belgium.

United have never faced Celta in UEFA competitions before and the Spanish side are through to a major European semi-final for the first time in their history.

Celta's top scorer Iago Aspas endured an underwhelming spell at Liverpool, while fellow attacker John Guidetti came through the ranks at Manchester City.

Manchester United team news: Predicted Red Devils XI v Burnley in the Premier League

With victory over Burnley this weekend, Manchester United can close the gap on fourth-placed City to just the one point.

Jose Mourinho's side __have been outsiders to the top four throughout the campaign, but are closing in on their rivals at the business end of the season.

They will, though, __have to battle Burnley without Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo, who suffered injuries in the quarter-final victory over Anderlecht.

So who might step up in their absence?

Scroll through the gallery above to check out talkSPORT's predicted Manchester United line-up.