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Wales are one of eight sides looking to keep their 2022 World Cup dream alive this evening as the play-off semi-finals take centre stage.
We preview Thursday’s action alongside our usual offering of news and features.
Wales expects
Wales boss Robert Page will hope a raucous home crowd can help his Dragons side roar past Austria at the Cardiff City Stadium tonight.
In what looks an extremely tight contest on paper, Welsh talisman Gareth Bale could be the difference-maker for his nation once again — but what does his future hold at club level?
With the 32-year-old’s summer departure from Real Madrid all but confirmed by Carlo Ancelotti last month, we assess possible next destinations.
While Bale and Aaron Ramsey tend to dominate the headlines for Wales, Leeds winger Dan James is also capable of making a telling impact.
Now a regular at Elland Road after departing Old Trafford in summer, the 24-year-old may finally be starting to add consistency to his game.
International action
There are three other play-off clashes to enjoy this evening as Italy host North Macedonia, Portugal meet Turkey and Sweden welcome Czech Republic.
Manchester United youngster Anthony Elanga is in contention for his first senior appearance for the Swedes, while veteran forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic is unavailable due to suspension.
With Ibrahimovic having spoken about his “panic” when contemplating retirement, we consider how Sweden’s national team moves on into a post-Zlatan era.
With Scotland’s crunch clash against Ukraine postponed, Steve Clarke’s men will instead face Poland in a friendly this evening.
The Poles — who will meet the winner of Sweden and Czech Republic’s tie for a place in Qatar — are still a side heavily reliant on their main man Robert Lewandowski.
We look at four stars who could help reduce the burden on the Bayern Munich forward at international level.
Club focus
The current international break allows us to look back on a breathless few months of club football.
A hectic January transfer window saw plenty of big stars on the move mid-season — and some have hit the ground running in their new surroundings.
From Luis Diaz to Dan Burn, we pick out the best performing January signings.
One player who is on the verge of leaving the Premier League is Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.
The French World Cup winner has excelled at international level but struggled to find consistency at Old Trafford.
Out of contract in the summer, does the future of the enigmatic playmaker depend on who succeeds Ralf Rangnick as Red Devils boss?
More to enjoy
As well as all of the above, our daily features are also on hand for your reading pleasure.
Transfer Talk delivers a daily round-up of the freshest whispers from football’s rumour mill, with today’s edition leading on Roma forward Tammy Abraham’s supposed £100million price tag.
Meanwhile, LiveScore Daily is your one-stop shop for the latest news from the football world in bite-sized chunks.
It is refreshed throughout the day, so be sure to check back regularly for updates.
