It seems churlish to use the word ‘crisis’ after only one defeat but Germany’s World Cup defence is looking increasingly nervous as criticism of Mesut Ozil reached abusive levels yesterday and players had to rebut reports of cliques and disunity in the camp.

The ideal scenario for the club where Paul Pogba played football as a kid might go something like this: The France midfielder shines so brightly at the World Cup that a money-no-object club — for argument’s sake, let’s say Real Madrid — decides that it cannot live without him and pays a nine-figure fee to shake him loose from Manchester United.

Marcus Rashford is set to boost England’s World Cup preparations by returning to training today.

Daniel Brennan, all 6ft3in and 20 stone of him, sits in a small chair in the courtyard of the vineyard where the French U20 team are staying outside Narbonne, and tries to rattle off his phone number before realising he can’t do it in English.

Daniel Storey selects 10 young players who can propel their careers to the next level during the World Cup.

JOSE Mourinho has found his new Didier Drogba. Even if Manchester United didn’t deserve this victory, on the balance of play, the dream now is that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has only just started his trophy collection at Old Trafford.

Manchester United 3 Southampton 2: THERE was a time, believe it or not, when Zlatan Ibrahimovic was described as over-rated. The strutting martial arts enthusiast was labelled a flat-track bully who flattered to deceive on the big stage.

Tottenham 4 Stoke 0: Harry Kane’s emergence in the Tottenham Hotspur side inspired chants of ‘He’s one of our own’, with the player accorded cult hero status almost immediately.

Here are the three top talking points from the weekend’s action...

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has a chance of starting the EFL Cup final but Jose Mourinho insists sentiment will not play any part in his decision.

Usually during these cup breaks, the emotional state of your average Fantasy Premier League manager lies somewhere between quiet reflection to outright boredom. Not this time...

Thinking of going to the cinema this week? Declan Burke reviews Patriots Day, A Cure for Wellness and George Best: All By Himself.

Here's your evening update.

Manchester City’s new role as football’s great entertainers could be the unique selling points and key identifier which delivers not only success on the field but also an opportunity to challenge the global profile of Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Barcelona.

St Etienne 0 Man United 1 (United win 4-0 on aggregate): Jose Mourinho expects influential Manchester United duo Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Michael Carrick to miss the EFL Cup final through injury.

Jose Mourinho cannot guarantee that Wayne Rooney will end the season at Manchester United despite the manager’s desire to keep hold of his captain.

Champions League last 16, 1st leg

Sergio Aguero offered a reminder of his value to Manchester City by providing the winning goal as they moved up to second in the Premier League with a 2-0 win at Bournemouth.

A small piece of Robbie Brady’s past with St Kevin’s Boys Club in Dublin bore witness to his immediate impact on this season’s Premier League title race at Turf Moor on Sunday — even if the Burnley newcomer still expected a verbal volley from a watching Roy Keane.