Football

Premier League final day countdown, play-offs and more – Friday football live!

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Friday football live blog
Wayne Rooney’s Everton future is in doubt, Chelsea have a slim chance of coming fourth, Liverpool will hope to avoid injuries and Arsenal will try to give Arsène Wenger a winning farewell. Composite: Rex/Getty/PA

User avatar for MatthewHolmes Guardian staff

Can't cope – one day to go til Cov vs Notts. Considering how yo-yo we've been it's incredible we've waited 22 years for another play off bash (not easy watching, especially seeing club legend Mark Stallard in other colours): they used to go well under Warnock, but I can't see us doing it this time having been well off the boil since Christmas.

But, Coventry seem to have goals in them at either end, so could be a pair of thrillers for the neutrals – sorry Exeter and Lincoln but shame it's not at Wembley (no offense to you, just wish this was out the way!)

Yes, this League Two play-off is going to be huge. These two were actually playing top-flight football against one another in 1991-92 – now they battle for a place in the third tier and it could be the start of a long way back ...

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Jacob Steinberg

Potential bad news for Manchester United?

Jose Mourinho has said that Romelu Lukaku might only be fit enough for a place on the bench when Manchester United face Chelsea in the FA Cup final next Saturday.

Lukaku has missed United’s last two matches after suffering an ankle injury against Arsenal last month and he will be absent again when they host Watford in their final Premier League match tomorrow. The striker is recovering in Belgium and Mourinho will be desperate to have him available against Chelsea after seeing his team follow last week’s 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion with an unimpressive 0-0 draw with West Ham on Thursday night.

“We hope he can play the final,” Mourinho said. “He is in Belgium having his treatment with communication between the Belgian doctors and our medical department. We are just waiting to see if it is possible for him to be involved in the final. If not starting, at least on the bench.”

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Bradford Council (@bradfordmdc)

A memorial service will be held in City Park today at 11am to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Bradford City AFC fire disaster at Valley Parade and remember the 56 people who died in the disaster in 1985. pic.twitter.com/cVPWnH09JJ

May 11, 2018

A very sad anniversary today, and one that it’s important we all take time to remember.

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And we are, lest any of us forget, in large part here to look ahead to Super Survival Showdown Sunday – so here are the things you should be salivating at. Throw some more my way!

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One big early bit of transfer news – or potential transfer news – to bring you. Jamie Jackson has word that Manchester United would like to sign Ajax’s bright young buck Justin Kluivert, who is of course the son of Patrick. Kluivert’s agent, you will read here, is one Mino Raiola – so I’ve no doubt this one will go off without a single glitch ...

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Lots of managers due to hold court in the next few hours. Sam Allardyce takes to the pulpit up at Finch Farm around about now, I believe – we have Andy Hunter up there, and there will doubtless be plenty of questions asked about Wayne Rooney’s future. And probably Big Sam’s own, too.

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Hello world

It’s Friday – but not just any Friday. It’s the final Friday of the Premier League season and if you thought we’d be on the beach without a care in the world then ... well ... give it a few days. Up and down the country there are managers giving pre-match press conferences for the final time this season, making wry comments about not-having-to-see-you-lot-again-for-a-while and perhaps – given the lack of obvious dramatic tension around most of Sunday’s games – kicking back and offering us a few more reflective bits, too.

And there’s much more going on. The play-offs are in full swing – did you see Jon Nolan’s brilliant winner for Shrewsbury at Charlton last night? – so there’s plenty to look ahead to on that front. Derby and Fulham face off tonight in the Championship. I think a couple of preliminary World Cup squads are being announced today too – Russia’s is due and Iceland, I’m told, will name their final 23. Stay tuned for those!

We’ve got a few hours for all this so let’s also, you know, chat. What have you liked the most about this season? What haven’t you enjoyed? Could the relegation and top-four fights still produce an implausible twist or two? Can someone explain to me in a concise sentence what exactly Fortnite is? Does food really taste better when it’s eaten outdoors?

Drop me a line on the email and Twitter addresses above. Let’s get this Friday started!

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