The diminutive Chilean forward has been in the eye of the storm with a string of below-par performances as United struggled in the Premier League and limped out of the Champions League at the hands of Sevilla this month.

“It was a bit rough for me because it’s the first time I’ve changed a team in January,” Sanchez told reporters in Stockholm where Chile are preparing to face Sweden on Saturday.

He said he had “expected something better” from himself during his first months under Jose Mourhino.

“It’s been very difficult, we were out of the World Cup, I arrived at my club which was at the time Arsenal, I got injured,” reflected the 29-year-old, who at the start of the season was close to joining Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

“At one stage the transfer broke down, I didn’t go to the other team and at the end I’m in at a team that is United, one of the biggest in the world.”

Away from United, Sanchez hopes to get back to winning ways with Chile in what will be Colombian coach Reinaldo Rueda’s first game in charge.

The team has been hit by internal squabbling in the wake of their elimination from the World Cup, and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo’s refusal to go on the European tour.

Sanchez said the team was “a family” and that Bravo was “keeping the door open” to a return to the national team.

Osaka, who won her first major title in Indian Wells last weekend, was superior throughout and fully deserved her 6-3, 6-2 win in just one hour and 17 minutes.

It was Williams’ fourth match and second tournament appearance since returning from 13 months maternity leave yet the American’s movement and inability to stay in the rallies suggested her comeback could be more arduous than expected.

The defeat was the first time Williams has lost her first match at an American hard court championship for 21 years.

Williams, 36, may have been unfairly unseeded here due to her lack of action over the past year but could have no complaints with the defeat.

In her comeback in Indian Wells, she made it through to round three, where she fell to sister Venus in straight sets.

Taking on Osaka was always going to prove a tough task — and so it proved.

Williams refused to speak to the media afterwards and will be fined up to $10,000 by the WTA.

She released a brief statement more than 90 minutes after the end of the match that read: “Every tournament is an opportunity for me to better understand the areas I need to improve to be my best.

“Naomi played a great match and I look forward to continuing my return by progressing every day.

“I am so grateful for my fans who continue to support me every step of this incredible journey.”

– Different type of nerves –

Osaka, though, was understandably delighted.

“I was nervous but once the match started I was OK,” said the Japanese rising star, who next faces Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, the world number four, in the second round.

“Serena is the main reason why I started playing. I have seen her on TV so many times, so for me to be playing against her, trying to detach myself from the fact I was playing Serena, was hard. It took me three games (to get her head around it).

Naomi Osaka

“It was a different type of nerves. I have never been like that against a specific person. The final in Indian Wells was different because I had never been in that position.”

Williams looked a shadow of her former self, yet her opponent was too focused on her own game to notice any glaring deficiencies in the American’s game.

“I wasn’t paying attention if she was struggling or not,” Osaka said. “I would freak myself out if I was looking too much at her. She did hit a lot of shots which almost made me fall over and I was like ‘Wow, that’s a Serena shot.'”

Williams, an eight-time champion in Key Biscayne, started strongly and held her serve to love but it took a while for the American to find her range.

Osaka, 20, showed some understandable nerves but was able to stay in the game and when she broke in the seventh game, it was the perfect chance for the Japanese player to take control.

The world number 22’s serve — which was being clocked at an impressive 115 mph — as well as the power in her ground strokes allowed her to stretch the lead to 5-3.

Osaka was hitting the ball beautifully and broke again to take the first set with relative ease.

– ‘I think she was sad’ –

Osaka broke once more to make it 3-1 in the second and the excellent Japanese never looked back, sealing the win when Williams hit an easy passing shot long.

“I think she was sad that it ended like that ” Osaka said.

“I was new to the tour when she left after the Australian Open, so to shake her hand at the end was pretty cool. She said, ‘Good job,’ but I kind of blanked out.

“It’s weird playing against someone who you’ve grown up watching. There’s a respect thing but you also want to win really bad. I just wanted her to know who I am.”

Meanwhile, former world number one Victoria Azarenka eased into the second round with a 6-3 6-0 win over American Cici Bellis.

In Barcelona’s colours, Messi has experienced nothing but success, winning eight La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns, while earning FIFA’s Ballon d’Or award five times.

But pulling on Argentina’s blue-and-white striped shirt has brought the forward some of the most painful moments of his career.

Rarely able to hit the same heights with Argentina that he routinely scales with Barcelona, Messi has endured stinging criticism from albiceleste fans at times.

Nobody would dispute Messi’s status as one of the all-time greats, but many in Argentina believe he cannot be considered on the same level as Diego Maradona until he wins a major honour with his country, as his compatriot did at the 1986 World Cup.

Rubbing salt into those wounds, Messi has lost in three successive major finals with Argentina as the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 and 2016 Copa America titles slipped from his grasp.

“I cried many times because of games like these, for lost finals, for what they mean and for not being able to achieve the dream of a country. It was a hard blow to take,” Messi recently told Argentine television programme La Cornisa.

The last World Cup was devastating to Messi as he missed a golden opportunity to put Argentina ahead in the final against Germany, who went on to win 1-0 in extra-time.

As if that was not bad enough, for the first time in his career, he missed in a penalty shootout when Argentina were beaten by Chile in the Copa America final two years ago.

– Last chance? –

Although Messi is still in his prime, the 30-year-old realises the World Cup in Russia, which starts in June, could represent his last chance to hoist the famous gold trophy.

He will be approaching the twilight of his career by the time the 2022 edition kicks off in Qatar.

Messi will have also noted that key Argentina team-mates Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria, Nicolas Otamendi and Javier Mascherano will all be 30 or over this year.

“Obviously, we depend on results and therefore the thinking in this group is that having got to three finals and not being able to win and even then people say a lot of things about us, if we are not champions then we won’t have another one (opportunity),” Messi said.

Having edged through to the finals thanks to Messi’s treble in a 3-1 win over Ecuador in October, Argentina are focused on peaking in Russia, where they will play Croatia, Iceland and Nigeria in the group stage.

First up is an intriguing test against an Italy side that failed to qualify for the World Cup.

Argentina boss Jorge Sampaoli believes the match at Manchester City’s ground will help to sharpen his side before a second friendly in Spain next week.

“Each match and training session is fundamental for us in preparation for the World Cup. Playing against Italy, in a venue as important as Etihad Stadium, is an invitation to a great event,” he said.

“Every Argentine in the world wants to be there when the national team plays. We are certain they will accompany us for this one.”

He will be taking on the legendary, reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes (21-3) of Brazil in what should be an action-packed matchup.

The two martial artists are wrapping up their preparations and getting ready to ascend the ONE Championship cage this weekend, and Bangkok is pulsating with excitement. Also on the card are local stars Shannon Wiratchai and Rika Ishige, as well as Muay Thai legend Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke.

Nguyen and Fernandes recently spoke to media ahead of their monumental clash this Saturday, and here’s what they had to say.

Martin Nguyen:

“I feel incredibly honored to be given the chance to show what I can do inside the cage, in front of millions of fans who believe in me and support me. It’s an overwhelming feeling. Bibiano Fernandes is an absolute legend in martial arts, and considered one of the best bantamweights in the world, and it is an honor for me to test myself against him.”

“I’m working round the clock to give the performance of a lifetime. All my matches ended within the distance, and I plan to end this one early too. I’m definitely looking to finish. I know Bibiano will be the best opponent I have ever faced, but I’m going to go in there and do my thing. I think I can catch him late and my youth and athleticism will be too much. It’s time to make history again.”

Martin Nguyen

“Competing in Bangkok is a privilege. Thailand is such a beautiful country. I can’t wait to showcase my skills to fans in Thailand. There are a ton of Muay Thai legends in Thailand and martial arts owes a great deal to the country. I am proud to be among those legends. This event is historic and the biggest night of my career.”

Bibiano Fernandes:

“I’m not just competing for the belt anymore, to me, it’s all about challenges now. I want to challenge myself and see how far my skills have progressed. Martin Nguyen is a great challenge for me, one of the biggest of my career. Everyone is talking about his power and how he’s going to know me out. I would like to see if he can. When he won the featherweight and lightweight world titles, it’s was definitely impressive. But this is my division. He’s coming into my territory and I will defend it. This challenge really motivates me to be at my best.”

“I know he has a powerful right hand and a good left hook, so I’m excited to experience them. I’ve studied him and I understand his movements. I’ve seen it all before in my career. Everyone says he is going to knock me out, but we’ll see. I have been training very hard each day. I don’t go out, I don’t party. I’m a family man. I get up in the morning, train, rest, spend some time with my family, and then train some more. This is my life. I have complete focus on preparing for this bout.”

“I am thankful for the opportunities ONE Championship has given me to see the world, travel all across Asia and now to perform in Thailand, it’s my honor. This is going to be one of the biggest events in the history of martial arts in Asia, and I plan to be on the winning end of it. I will do everything I can to keep the belt and give the best performance of my life.”

DESPITE THE absence of several stars from rival teams, including the late withdrawal of Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Thailand’s national coach Milovan Rajevac says retaining the King’s Cup will still be a tough task for his side.

The friendlies, which kick off today at 4.30pm with the game between Slovakia and the United Arab Emirates at Rajamangala National Stadium, have been hit by the withdrawal of several players. Aubameyang brought further bad news for the tournament when he cancelled his trip to Bangkok following the death of his grandmother on Tuesday.

Earlier, 2016 AFC Player of the Year Omar Abdulrahman and 2015 Asian Cup top scorer Ali Mabkhout were left out of the UAE line-up after they violated a team curfew prior to the January 5 Gulf Cup final defeat to Oman.

Then Slovak star Marek Hamsik of Napoli suffered a thigh injury during a game with Genoa in the Italian Serie A on Saturday, which ruled him out of the trip to Bangkok.

Nevertheless Thailand manager Rajevac refused to underestimate the visitors, especially Gabon who began training yesterday bolstered by the presence of Southampton central midfielder Mario Lemina. Thailand and the African nation meet today at 7.30pm in a game televised live on Thai Rath TV 32.

“Each team just lacks one or two players. Overall, they are all strong teams with good quality players. Gabon is one of the top teams in Africa with a fantastic coach and strong players,” said Rajevac, who insists the tournament remains highly competitive even in the absence of the high-profile players.

“It’s a good chance to see new players. New stars are always born in tournaments like this,” added the coach, who orchestrated Thailand’s 1-0 win over Kenya in a home friendly last year.

“To play [well against] a good team, you have to put a lot of effort into the match. I hope my players will put a lot of effort to defend the title.”

With or without Aubameyang, Gabon’s coach Jose Antonio Camacho will be seeking personal revenge against Thailand for the upset 5-1 defeat in a friendly five years ago when he was in charge of the Chinese national team. Thailand were at the time coached by Kiatisak Senamuang.

“It was a long time ago. Back then the Chinese team were mentally not good and they were just the youth team. It’s unfortunate that Aubameyang cannot join us but we will try to make it very difficult for Thailand to beat us,” said Spaniard Camacho.

Martin Skrtel 

Slovak captain Martin Skrtel, who played for Liverpool in an exhibition with Thai Premier League All Stars here in 2016, hopes to see a big turnout.

“This time it will be different as I’ve come to play for the Slovak national team. I still remember the good reception I got from fans during my last visit. I hope to see a lot of people come to the stadium,” said Skrtel, who now plays for Fenerbahce in Turkey.

The Arsenal striker was supposed to arrive Bangkok this morning for the King’s Cup football tournament. Gabon and Thailand will square off on Thursday at 7.30pm at the Rajamangala National Stadium.

However the African team still have two EPL players:  Watford midfielder Ndong Didier Ibrahim and Southampton central midfielder Mario Lemina.

The Real Madrid star made the comments as he accepted the Portuguese player of the year award in Lisbon.

“We should always believe we are the best,” said Ronaldo, who led Portugal to the Euro 2016 title and who is now turning his gaze to the 2018 World Cup.

“You need to think big. I always believe that nobody is better than me, out on the pitch at least,” he said.

“On a personal and collective level I have had a dream year. I won five trophies (Champions League, UEFA Supercup, World Club Cup, Spanish league title and the Spanish Supercup), the Ballon D’Or and the FIFA ‘Best’ title.”

Ronaldo, who has been voted Ballon D’Or winner five times, is currently in Lisbon with the Portugal squad who play fellow World Cup qualifiers Egypt on Friday and the Netherlands three days later.

The 33-year-old has scored 79 goals in 147 games for Portugal and will lead the reigning European Champions to the 2018 World Cup, fitness permitting, where they will face Spain, Morocco and Iran in the first round.

The former world number one has been beset with an elbow injury that sidelined him for six months after he was forced to retire at the quarter-finals of Wimbledon last year.

A return to action at the Australian Open with a modified serving action resulted in a fourth round defeat while a limp exit at Indian Wells last week only heightened doubts that the 30 year-old would ever add to his total of 12 Grand Slams.

Yet as the Serbian star fine tuned his attempt to win in Key Biscayne for a record seventh time, he spoke of finally putting an end to the injury torment which has blighted his efforts to return to the form which saw him become the first man since the legendary Australian Rod Laver to hold all four majors at once less than two years ago.

“I actually started playing pain-free in the last two days. It’s quite refreshing because everything else had pain involved,” Djokovic said.

“The last few days have been first in a long, long time that I could actually be focused on the game rather than have something in my mind and be worried about whether I am going to have pain or not.”

Asked by AFP to clarify his injury situation, Djokovic added: “Actually it’s the first time in years (he has been injury free).”

Djokovic’s physical problems have clearly affected his once seemingly impenetrable mental strength.

He swatted away a question about how he could challenge current world number one Roger Federer, the Miami Open reigning champion, preferring to concentrate on the lessons learned during the most arduous of comebacks.

“I have learned a lot about myself,” he said. “It’s been a great, great blessing to go through this. I’ve been very successful in this sport over the course of the last six, seven years and I’ve been very grateful to go through that.

“But I obviously have had to face different circumstances, situations that I’ve never faced before. Ever since I started professional tennis my trajectory was always going in the right direction and that has changed.

“So I had to open up and figure out things, how to move forward and get inspired and be the best version I can be.”

– Every day a process –

Djokovic, who will play in the second round here on Friday, underwent a “small medical intervention” following his defeat in Melbourne and has been seen in the build up here simulating a baseball pitch to ensure his right elbow stands up to the test.

“It’s one of the ways to warm up and get my body and my mind synchronized with a certain motion that I would like to have with my serve because that’s where I kind of compromise my elbow,” he said. “So I’m trying to strengthen the muscles and get into a certain motion that would support the best possible serve.

“I am not yet at my best. Every day is a process for me and it’s an opportunity to learn, to grow and get better after the two years of injury and trying to figure out ways how to play pain free.

“I have had to modify a lot of things in my game to accept it. When I made this intervention, obviously it’s pretty invasive and unfortunately in the end it had to be done.

“It also carries certain consequences but right now, I’m not playing with the pain which is the most important thing.

“All I can do now is to try to embrace the process every day.”

The south Florida showcase got an additional boost on Sunday when Del Potro saved three championship points to hand world number one Roger Federer his first loss of 2018 in a thrilling 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/2) victory at the Indian Wells Masters.

With the win, combined with injuries to Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, it is now looking like Del Potro is the biggest threat to Federer’s rule over the ATP Tour.

“It’s time to celebrate this, because I made the big effort to win it,” Del Potro said. “And then be ready for Miami. It is one of my favourite tournaments on tour.

“Many Latino-American people are expecting my game there. That make me feel special. I would like to keep surprising myself and see how far I can go.”

Del Potro, 29, captured his second ATP title in a row and recorded his biggest victory since his comeback from multiple wrist surgeries.

Federer was 17-0 on the season heading into the Indian Wells final which was a personal best for him.

Del Potro said the first order of business when he gets to south Florida is to do some celebrating with his team.

“I cannot tell you,” he joked of his party plans. “It will be Miami, maybe tomorrow, but that’s enough.”

Del Potro also won the title earlier this month in Acapulco, where he beat three top eight players in a row to clinch his 21st singles crown.

He is back in the top ten rankings this season for the first time since 2014. He dropped to No. 1,045 before beginning his comeback from the left wrist surgeries in 2016.

On Monday, Del Potro moved up to No. 6 in the rankings.

“I don’t care about the numbers. I just want to keep winning titles,” he said.

Del Potro said something changed for him in his career when he upset then world number one Djokovic in the first round of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“After the Djokovic match, my tennis life changed,” he said. “I feel happy again with my tennis life.

“I won the Davis Cup and I say, ‘Okay, I don’t have any more pressure to play tennis because I won everything that I what.'”

– ‘Happy again’ –

But there was still one thing missing on his resume and that was a Masters 1000 title which he earned by beating Federer.

“I have everything that I want, and I want to keep improving my game to see what can I do,” he said.

Federer goes to Miami licking his wounds after losing his fourth of six career finals to Del Potro. Overall he holds a commanding 18-7 lead but in finals it’s a different story, including the 2009 US Open which Del Potro won 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.

“Should I have won the US Open final I don’t know,” Federer said. “I could have. Should have. I didn’t. Same today.

“I am not sure why the final record is what it is. Most of them have gone the distance. It’s been tough against him.”

Federer said he spent too much time second guessing himself during Sunday’s match.

“I let an opportunity like this go by. Having him hit something past me, that’s very uncomfortable for him, and you pick the wrong side and you are like ‘Why am I picking the wrong side?’ Is it him or me? You just don’t know.

“Next thing you are shaking hands. Okay, too good. You move on.”

For Federer that means to Miami as well, where he is the top seed. He said Sunday he won’t decide whether to play in the French Open until after he plays Miami.

Four-time major winner McIlroy has moved up six places to seventh in the rankings, after playing the last six holes in five-under par to claim the Arnold Palmer Invitational title.

It was the Northern Irishman’s first win since the 2016 PGA Tour Championship.

His fellow former world number one Woods moved to the brink of a return to the top 100 after posting successive top-five finishes for the first time in nearly five years.

The 14-time major champion was ranked outside the top 1,000 just last year, but despite falling out of contention on the final stretch on Sunday, moved up 44 spots to 105th.

The return to form of both McIlroy and Woods has come ahead of the start of the Masters on April 5.

McIlroy will be bidding to complete the career Grand Slam at Augusta, while the 42-year-old Woods is hoping to win a first major since the 2008 US Open.

American Dustin Johnson maintains a healthy lead at the top of the rankings from his compatriot Justin Thomas, with Spanish rising star Jon Rahm in third.

World’s top 20

1. Dustin Johnson (USA)         10.31 average pts

2. Justin Thomas (USA)           9.37

3. Jon Rahm (ESP)                8.45

4. Jordan Spieth (USA)           8.10

5. Justin Rose (ENG)             7.59

6. Hideki Matsuyama (JPN)        6.87

7. Rory McIlroy (NIR)            6.52 (+6)

8. Rickie Fowler (USA)           6.25 (-1)

9. Brooks Koepka (USA)           5.77 (-1)

10. Sergio Garcia (ESP)          5.70 (-1)

11. Jason Day (AUS)              5.56 (-1)

12. Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)        5.49 (-1)

13. Paul Casey (ENG)             5.39 (-1)

14. Henrik Stenson (SWE)         5.11 (+1)

15. Marc Leishman (AUS)          4.93 (+1)

16. Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)         4.75 (-2)

17. Alex Noren (SWE)             4.69

18. Phil Mickelson (USA)         4.45

19. Pat Perez (USA)              4.29

20. Matt Kuchar (USA)            4.12

Selected:

105. Tiger Woods (USA)         1.41 (+44)