Russia 2018 World Cup Guide

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reportedly dismissed the ongoing speculation of Andres Iniesta signing for the club in the summer. The Spain international recently announced his decision to leave Barcelona at the end of the campaignand he has since been linked with a whole host of clubs including City.

However, Guardiola has distanced himself from the gossip by saying: "I think when Andres decided to move on from Barcelona it was not to come to Manchester. It’s another way to decide to make the last years of his career, in another place, for many, many reasons.But if he wanted to compete still at a high level, he [would have stayed] in Barcelona.We can’t offer him what he had in Barcelona, here. He decided for other reasons, not just football terms."

Spain international Marcos Alonso believes Chelsea have not had the luck or consistency to defend the Premier League title this season. The Blues succumbed to a 3-1 Premier League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, and this sees them requiring a minor miracle in order to secure a top-four finish to the Premier League season.

Speaking on the club’s official website, Alonso said: “I think we aren’t having the same luck as last year. Also, other teams have improved and maybe we don’t have the consistency we had last year. I think we aren’t having the same luck as last year. Also, other teams have improved and maybe we don’t have the consistency we had last year.”

With the World Cup just a month away, there is no doubt that the preparations for each of the 32 countries that will be taking part have intensified. For the men who are in charge of this select group of nations, soon they will have arguably their toughest task to date.

That, of course, being the decision as to who will be named in each of their respective 23 man squads. One of those men at the helm is England manager Gareth Southgate, someone who also will be in charge in a major international tournament for the first time.

Chelsea wingback Marcos Alonso has revealed that Alvaro Morata was not pleased after he was omitted from the Spain squad for their upcoming international friendlies against Germany and Argentina. The 25-year-old went through a tough period with the Blues owing to injuries and a loss of form, and this eventually hampered his chances of making Julen Lopetegui’s squad.

Speaking in a press conference, Alonso admitted that his compatriot was not impressed by the decision, but he is hopeful that the striker can turn it around with a rich vein of form for Chelsea in the tail-end of the season. Meanwhile, discussing about his maiden call-up to La Roja, Alonso stressed that he was never distracted by the international prospects, and it came as a pleasant surprise after he earned his due rewards.

Former Chelsea midfielder Glenn Hoddle was not impressed with the attitude of Alvaro Morata in the lead-up to the Barcelona game on Tuesday night. The Spain international came on a late substitute during the 1-1 Champions League draw, but was unable to influence the game.

Speaking on BT Sport, Hoddle appeared to criticise the former Real Madrid man after he showed a sense of disappointment during the warm-up session leading to the clash, he said: "Yeah, his attitude wasn’t great walking out [to the warm-up]. Giroud’s was alright, to be fair to him. ‘One of them would have thought they would be starting today."

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte talked up the potential of Alvaro Morata ahead of the Blues' FA Cup outing versus Norwich City. The Spain international joined the Premier League holders from Real Madrid earlier in the summer, and he has since established himself as the first-choice striker.

Speaking in his press conference, Conte highlighted the achievement of the two-time Champions League winner whilst insisting that the Spaniard has more room to improve as he progress further in his professional career, he said: "Morata scored 12 goals this season and made seven assists. Until now, the stats are good. Don’t forget he’s young, only 25, and it’s the first season he’s playing regularly. He has a lot of space for improvement, we are talking about one of the strikers that can become one of the best players in the world."

The 2018 World Cup in Russia is set to finally kick off on June 14, as the globe's best nations and players prepare to do battle for the biggest prize there is on offer in football.

With so many star-studded squads ready to depart for the finals in Russia this coming summer, the home fans throughout the country will be treated to a host of big names and high-profile players representing their respective nations.

So, ahead of the highly awaited World Cup on Russian soil, here are the top four football stars to look out for in the latest international tournament...

The resurgence of Jack Wilshire has been one of the feel-good stories of the season for both Arsenal and England fans alike and the midfield maestro has been one of the few stand-out stars during an underwhelming season at the Emirates. The 26-year-old hasn't played for the national side since their humiliating Euro 2016 exit at the hands of Iceland but should he remain injury-free between now and June, he is surely one of the front-runners for a starting position in Gareth Southgate's squad.

Wilshire's season hasn't been without its ups and downs but he has certainly played himself into contention for a place at Russia 2018. The Stevenage-born midfielder suffered another injury scare back in January 2018 when twisting his leg against Chelsea after charging down a cross but it wasn't long until he was back in action, replacing hat-trick hero Aaron Ramsey during the Gunner's superb 5-1 victory over Everton. Prior to being removed at Stamford Bridge, he'd featured in six consecutive matches for the club and had been singled out for praise by a number of television pundits.

Former Liverpool defender Danny Murphy feels Alvaro Morata is under pressure to perform at Chelsea despite making a strong start to his Premier League career. The Spain international recently scored the winner in the 1-0 triumph over Manchester United, and this has taken his tally to seven goals in just 11 top-flight outings.

In a reported covered by Evening Standard, Murphy feels Morata still has much to prove at Stamford Bridge with his fitness not being one of his best qualities, he said: "Alvaro Morata has made a great start to life at Chelsea but he needs to show he has the physical capacity to stay on the pitch week after week. During Morata’s spells with Real Madrid and Juventus, he was hampered by niggling injuries at different times."

Chelsea defender Azpilicueta has not given up hope on making Spain's World Cup squad despite being omitted from Julen Lopetegui's latest selection of players. Blues teammate Pedro Rodriguez and Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal were also left out with Lopetegui opting for an experimental squad with less established names.

Speaking to RMC Sport, the Blues favourite insisted that he has no knowledge why he was left out of the 23-man selection, but remains hopeful of making the cut for next summer's World Cup in Russia, he said: "I haven't had any news. There is a lot of competition for places in Spain. I know my job is to do the best I can. My aim is to be at the World Cup and I have to keep working hard."