Antoine Griezmann intends to stay calm and focused on making the most of a new start at Barcelona as the fall-out from his transfer from Atletico Madrid rumbles on.

Yet again the talk surrounding England as they approach a major tournament is marooned somewhere between hope and hype but Damien Duff has questioned whether Gareth Southgate’s players have the commitment required to make a mark at the World Cup.

Diego Costa last night made a goalscoring return to Atletico Madrid with a second-half strike in their comfortable 4-0 Copa de Rey win at Lleida.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is still looking to make signings over the next fortnight but insists he is happy with his squad if no new faces arrive.

French and Malian troops retook control of Timbuktu, a Unesco World Heritage site, yesterday after Islamist rebel occupiers fled the ancient Sahara trading town and torched several buildings, including a priceless manuscript library.