Former Town skipper and coach Tony Mowbray will miss out on a return to Portman Road on Saturday with Birmingham City as he is set to spend around six-to-eight weeks away from the club as he undergoes medical treatment.
Bayern Munich are targeting a move for Xabi Alonso should Thomas Tuchel be sacked as head coach. Any appointment of Leverkusen head coach Alonso would be with a view to the 42-year-old taking over permanently in the summer. Pressure is building on Tuchel after Bayern lost their third consecutive game in a row across all competitions on Sunday, falling to a 3-2 defeat at VfL Bochum. They also recently suffered losses against Lazio in the Champions League and to Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen, who defeated them 3-0 on February 10. More details below
Manchester United have identified Dan Ashworth as their first-choice candidate to become sporting director as part of the overhaul of football operations led by incoming minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Ashworth has been placed on gardening leave after asking to leave Newcastle United, with Manchester United interested in appointing him as their sporting director. If appointed, Ashworth will follow United’s incoming chief executive Omar Berrada in leaving a Premier League rival for Old Trafford.Here, The Athletic answers the key questions regarding Ashworth’s potential appointment…