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Pochettino: No player needs convincing to play for Tottenham

Mauricio Pochettino has praised the commitment shown by captain Hugo Lloris but insists no-one needs convincing to play for his Tottenham side.

Goalkeeper Lloris was appointed skipper at White Hart Lane after a summer that saw him consistently linked with a move away from the club – with Manchester United reportedly keen to sign the France international if David De Gea had moved to Real Madrid. But he remains a Tottenham player and, ahead of their opening fixture in this season's Europa League campaign at home to Qarabag, head coach Pochettino hailed Lloris and revealed he never needed to convince the 28-year-old to stay put.

"I don't think I need to convince anybody," he said. I think that Tottenham is a big club and the players want to play for Tottenham and all players are happy. I don't know why you still say that Hugo wants to play Champions League because he is very happy. I told you before.

"I think it is important in the way that he showed his commitment here and I am happy with him. Hugo is a very important player for us and he is our captain and he is a personality and commitment is important to show for the team."

Pochettino's side reached the round of 32 in last season's Europa League but it proved to be the starting point for Harry Kane's meteoric rise through the ranks. The England international was used almost exclusively in the competition earlier in the season before establishing himself as the club's first-choice striker and earning an England call-up.

He has yet to score for Spurs this season but could feature in Thursday night's meeting with Azerbaijan champions Qarabag as Pochettino looks to name a strong side – refuting claims his side may feel the strain later in the year.

"We try to put the best team for every game," he said. We pick the players that we believe that if for win the games and to do good. This is football. But I think that it doesn't affect a competition like the Europe League and the Premier League and at the end of the season if we are tired or not. We are ambitious, we expect more from us, from the team, and I think this is our ambition always. And that is not easy to do."

Meanwhile, Qarabag coach Gurban Qurbanov is looking forward to taking his side into battle against an English Premier League side for the first time – even if he expected something of a continental approach from Pochettino.

"Tommorow Qarabag will play one of our best games," he said. The team is very enthusiastic and we will try to please the fans of Azerbaijani football and demonstrate we are one of the best teams.

"Tottenham have an Argentinian coach and he worked for many years in Spain. Therefore I don't think that Tottenham play English football and we will most likely see a blend of English and Spanish football."

Chelsea seek to end winless home run as European football returns

Chelsea go in search of a first home win of the season at the third attempt when Jose Mourinho's side open their Champions League Group G campaign against Maccabi Tel-Aviv on Wednesday night.

The Premier League champions, who lost to Crystal Palace after a draw with Swansea in their two Stamford Bridge contests to date, face the Israeli double winners seeking a strong start in a group which includes Mourinho's former club Porto and Dynamo Kiev.

Chelsea would usually be expected to brush aside a team managed by their former midfielder Slavisa Jokanovic, but Maccabi Tel-Aviv advanced to the group stages at the expense of Basle, the Swiss side who in 2013/14 twice beat the Blues.

Jokanovic also guided Watford into the Premier League last term.

Chelsea's stuttering start to the domestic season could receive a much-needed fillip with victory over Maccabi Tel-Aviv, who include former Blues defender Tal Ben Haim in their ranks.

The sides have never met competitively and Chelsea's only experience of Israeli opposition – in 2001/02 against Hapoel Tel-Aviv in the UEFA Cup – ended in defeat.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv lost twice to Stoke in the 2011/12 Europa League in their only contests with an English side and are in Europe's elite club competition for the first time in 11 seasons.

Attacking midfielder Eran Zahavi scored seven goals in the qualifying rounds and could be one to watch.

Chelsea exited the tournament to Paris St Germain at the first knockout stage last term and are keen to go further this season, although the priority will be to ensure at least a top-four finish in the Premier League and qualification for next season's competition.

Mourinho has not selected Papy Djilabodji, the Senegal defender signed from Nantes, in his Champions League squad in order to give exposure to promising attackers Bertrand Traore and Kenedy.

The Portuguese says he has plenty of central defensive cover, with Branislav Ivanovic among those able to operate there if needed as a fourth option.

“If he's in the Champions League squad Traore or Kenedy are not on the list,” Mourinho said.

“If Traore and Kenedy are not on the list in this moment you ask me why Traore and Kenedy are not on the list.

“Champions League can be a fantastic opportunity if they can play some minutes.

“We made that decision and because the group phase is six matches and we need to be very unlucky if in these six matches we need Djilabodji in the team, when we have John (Terry), (Gary) Cahill, (Kurt) Zouma and eventually Ivanovic.

“One thing is a short competition with six matches like Champions League, another thing is a domestic season with the Premier League and two cups.”

Ronny Deila: I will get Celtic back into Champions League proper

Ronny Deila is confident he will deliver Champions League football to Celtic.

The Hoops were knocked out of the play-offs this week by Swedish side Malmo after suffering a 4-3 aggregate loss.

Deila passed up two chances of reaching the group stages a year ago, shortly after taking over from Neil Lennon, but is under much more scrutiny following Tuesday's costly 2-0 second-leg defeat at the Swedbank station.

The Scottish champions dropped into the Europa League where they were drawn in the same "good group " as Ajax, Fenerbahce and Molde, but Deila believes the Parkhead club will return to the premier competition while he is in charge.

Ahead of the visit of St Johnstone in the Ladbrokes Premiership on Saturday, when asked if his time as Hoops boss could be described as a success if he never made it to the Champions League, he replied: "That's a hypothetical question.

"I think we are going to be in the Champions League while I am the manager.

"We are closer. Hopefully we get another chance next year by winning the league and then we will see.

"There has been a lot of progress in our team.

"The results have been much better this season but this has been a big setback for me, the whole club and for the players.

"But you can't feel sorry for yourselves, you have to get up again.

"Tomorrow is another match and I am looking forward to it much more than I did last year because I know we are on our way to doing something."

The former Stromsgodset boss, however, insists results are not the only criteria by which he should be judged, claiming that there is a wider remit at Celtic.

"I don't think smart people judge only on results," he said.

"People who succeed in life judge progress in many ways.

"This club is one of the best driven clubs in the world.

"The economy (finances) is fantastic and there are so many people doing so many good things.

"We are developing players from seven years old to grown up, we are taking in young players and selling them for a lot of money and we win so many titles in Scotland.

"So if you want to be negative, you can but for me it is much more than one thing."

While a sense of anti-climax is sure to engulf Celtic Park on Saturday, Deila insists there is plenty to play for this season.

He said: "You can't say that the season is gone. We have been going for one month and hadn't lost a game before this game.

"We are very disappointed because it (Champions League) was a big target but there is so much to go for."

Deila is looking forward to the Europa League campaign which starts next month with a trip to Amsterdam.

He said: " It is a good group. There are some big teams there and there are going to be a lot of exciting games at home and also away.

"At the best we can beat anybody in that group but at the lowest level we have also shown that we can lose against anybody."

Before that, Deila wants Celtic to respond to their midweek disappointment when they take on St Johnstone.

"We want to get back on track, that is very important," he said.

Wayne Rooney's hat-trick books Manchester United's place in group stages

Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick as Manchester United secured their return to the Champions League group stage on Wednesday with an emphatic victory over Club Brugge.

United, absent from football's elite club competition last term, were ahead in the 20th minute of the qualifying play-off second leg in Belgium when Rooney notched his first goal of 2015-16, converting from a tee-up by Memphis Depay, scorer of a brace in last week's 3-1 first-leg triumph.

Rooney added further finishes in the 49th and 57th minutes, Ander Herrera struck in the 63rd, and it mattered little that substitute Javier Hernandez missed a penalty late on as United cruised to a 4-0 win that made it 7-1 on aggregate.

Joining them in the pool stage will be Bayer Leverkusen, who turned their play-off around by beating 10-man Lazio 3-0 at home.

The Germans trailed 1-0 from the first leg, but levelled things when Hakan Calhanoglu scored in the 40th minute.

Three minutes after the interval, they had another goal as Admir Mehmedi smashed in, and the Italian visitors then had Mauricio sent off in the 68th minute before their misery was completed in the 88th, Karim Bellarabi sealing Bayer's 3-1 aggregate win.

Also through after coming from behind are CSKA Moscow, who were 2-1 down against Sporting Lisbon from the first leg in Portugal but won the return encounter in Russia 3-1 to triumph 4-3 overall.

Sporting increased their advantage through Teofilo Gutierrez's first-half strike, but CSKA replied after the break through a Seydou Doumbia double and Ahmed Musa effort, with the away side then being reduced to 10 men in stoppage time as Joao Mario was dismissed.

BATE Borisov lost 2-1 to Partizan Belgrade in Serbia but, with the tie finishing 2-2, progressed on away goals, Igor Stasevich providing the crucial strike for the Belarusians before Maksim Zhavnerchik's own-goal and substitute Ivan Saponjic's stoppage-time effort.

Astana became the first Kazakhstani club to qualify for the group stage as their 1-1 draw with APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus saw them win 2-1 overall. Semir Stilic levelled the tie before Nemanja Maksimovic replied for Astana late on.

Diego Costa will be marked man after Arsenal antics, warns George Graham

Former Arsenal boss George Graham has warned Diego Costa he faces being targeted by officials after his indiscretions in Chelsea's 2-0 win over the Gunners on Saturday.

Graham is adamant the Spain striker should have been sent off for bumping the chest of Laurent Koscielny and raising his hands to the Frenchman's face in the first half at Stamford Bridge before Gunners defender Gabriel saw red for retaliation.

Although Costa got away with only a yellow card, Graham says referees are now likely to seek to ensure he does not escape stricter punishment in future.

Graham told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek: "I think (Costa) is going to be targeted man now by the officials and probably rightly so.

"(Didier) Drogba was the main (Chelsea) man for nearly 10 years and he was very, very physical but he didn't take to the extremes that Costa has taken it to.

"Although you've got to keep that physical intensity, once you step over the mark he's got to be dealt with by officials, it's as simple as that - and I think he will be."

But Graham also suggested Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger ought to be stricter with his own players, with Santi Cazorla's second-half dismissal taking the number of Gunners players dismissed in the Premier League to 79.

Graham added: "(Wenger) is not the most strict manager and he really needs to get hold of his own players because there's no way he (Gabriel) should have been sent off - it's his own stupidity that got him sent off and they've got to handle that.

"(But) Arsene does it his way and look at the record he has got in English football - he has been instrumental in getting a certain way of playing, the diet - he's brought all these things and trophies as well so how can you fault him?"

Chelsea to decide whether to appeal Diego Costa violent conduct charge

Chelsea must decide quickly whether to appeal against Diego Costa's violent conduct charge after the Football Association began disciplinary proceedings following an ill-tempered clash with Arsenal.

Costa has been cited for an incident involving Gunners defender Laurent Koscielny in his side's 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues given until 6pm on Tuesday to respond.

The case for the defence became a little murkier on Monday when Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma was forced to explain comments in a television interview that the Spain striker "likes to cheat a lot".

Arsenal have already signalled their intent to appeal against Gabriel's sending-off in the match, but he has also been handed a separate charge of improper conduct.

Both London clubs face charges of failing to control their players, with a reply deadline of 6pm on Thursday.

The FA said in a statement: "Diego Costa has been charged for an alleged act of violent conduct which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video.

"The Chelsea forward was involved in an incident with Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny in the 43rd minute of the game. He has until 6pm (on Tuesday) to reply.

"Off-the-ball incidents which are not seen at the time by the match officials are referred to a panel of three former elite referees."

Costa's behaviour was the subject of a post-match television interview with Zouma, during which the French defender made potentially inflammatory comments that both he and the club attempted to clarify on Monday.

The 20-year-old told beIN Sports: "Everyone knows Diego and this guy likes to cheat a lot and put the opponents out of his game, and that happened in the game. He's a real nice guy in the life and we are very proud to have him."

Zouma posted an explanation on Twitter saying: "Sorry for any confusion, English is not my first language & I did not mean to accuse anyone of cheating. Simply to say Diego is a player who puts pressure on his opponents & who I have huge respect for."

A Chelsea spokesman said it was unfair to take Zouma's words at face value.

"It's a bit harsh to take literally the words of a young player speaking in his second language immediately after a game," the Chelsea spokesman said. "Kurt is deeply upset that his words have been used to attack a team-mate and a friend."

Regarding Gabriel, the FA statement continued: "Arsenal defender Gabriel has been charged with improper conduct for his behaviour following his dismissal, whilst team-mate Santi Cazorla has been warned for his behaviour following his sending-off.

"Both clubs have been charged for failing to control their players under FA Rule E20."

Arsenal said they would appeal for both wrongful dismissal in relation to Gabriel and the length of his ban.

A statement read: "The club can confirm that it is appealing wrongful dismissal and the three-match ban given to Gabriel."

Arsenal win appeal against Gabriel red card at Chelsea

Arsenal have won an appeal against Gabriel's sending-off at Chelsea.

The centre-back was dismissed for kicking out at Chelsea forward Diego Costa during Saturday's ill-tempered clash at Stamford Bridge.

However, the Football Association announced in a statement on Tuesday it has accepted Arsenal's challenge to the decision and withdrawn the three-match suspension.

Gabriel still faces a separate charge of improper conduct for his reaction after being shown the red card by referee Mike Dean.

The swift decision means Gabriel becomes available for selection in Wednesday night's Capital One Cup tie at Tottenham.

The FA statement read: "Arsenal's claim of wrongful dismissal in relation to Gabriel has been upheld following an independent regulatory commission hearing.

"The player's three-match suspension has, therefore, been withdrawn with immediate effect.

"Gabriel was dismissed for violent conduct during the game against Chelsea on Saturday [19 September 2015].

"The player is currently subject to a separate FA charge of improper conduct in relation to Saturday's game and has until 6pm on Thursday [24 September 2015] to reply."

Gabriel lost his cool following a confrontation with Costa, who had earlier pushed Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny in the face and then barged him to the ground.

There was a precedent for the suspension being overturned.

Last season, Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic saw his ban reduced after reacting to a dangerous tackle by Burnley's Ashley Barnes, with the governing body accepting he had used a moderate "level of force" when pushing his opponent.

Gabriel, however, could still be sanctioned for failing to immediately leave the pitch following his red card, as the player tried to then confront Costa before being restrained by his team-mates.

The FA also charged both Chelsea and Arsenal for failing to control their players.

'Arsene Wenger must put faith in Theo Walcott'

After European disappointment in midweek, Arsene Wenger needs to trust Theo Walcott for the trip to Chelsea, writes BT Sport columnist Mike Calvin.

Even now, 18 months on, the memory of Arsene Wenger’s distress has lost none of its clarity or cruel power.

The defining image of the worst day of his football life captures him leaning forward in his seat at Stamford Bridge, covering his eyes with his left hand and massaging his temples in a poignant attempt to ease the strain.

His 1,000th match as Arsenal manager had turned into a self-confessed “nightmare.” Chelsea won 6-0 and the home crowd were chanting “specialist in failure” before half time.

Uniquely in my experience, Wenger lacked the moral courage to attend the post-match press conference. He later sought to take responsibility for the calamity, and absolved his players of blame.

That highlighted the excessive loyalty which will return to haunt him unless he makes a bold selection for tomorrow’s return to Stamford Bridge, which will be live on BT Sport.

It is a game neither team can afford to lose, though the momentum has shifted in Chelsea’s favour following contrasting midweek fortunes in Europe.

As Rio Ferdinand said, during the inquest into an ominously predictable Champions League defeat in Zagreb, Wenger needs to trust Theo Walcott.

He remains an enigmatic figure, who lacks the instinctive composure of a natural striker. His movement causes problems, yet no player has missed more chances in the Premier League this season.

Wenger insists Walcott will prove to be prolific, despite his conversion rate, but falls short of guaranteeing him the consistent run of games he needs to become a cohesive part of a shape-shifting Arsenal attack.

The weaknesses in Olivier Giroud’s character, underlined by self-destructive rashness and an increasing habit of snatching at opportunities, make a vow of faith in Walcott even more timely and significant.

Wenger’s reluctance to strengthen in the summer is already being felt, since the limited depth of his squad was brutally exposed in Croatia.

It was a wasted opportunity for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, in particular. He failed to make a case to start consistently, since he lacked dynamism and defensive resolve.

The reliance on Francis Coquelin, who was rested along with Petr Cech, Hector Bellerin, Nacho Monreal, Aaron Ramsey and Walcott, represents a glaringly avoidable problem.

He embodies the hunger and durability Arsenal will require in what is guaranteed to be a febrile atmosphere tomorrow, when Cech’s return to Chelsea will be another intriguing subplot.

They must answer the slur they are a soft touch, a team to embroider important matches rather than dominate them. As for Wenger, he must simply pray history doesn’t repeat itself.