It won't be long before Liverpool great Steven Gerrard is back at Anfield as a Premier League manager.

Not in charge of his boyhood team, though.

Spain enters its decisive World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Sweden without some key players because of injuries.

Nine players are not available for coach Luis Enrique for the matches at Greece on Thursday and against Sweden on Sunday.

European nations play their last group games in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup over the next week, with some of the continent's biggest teams still not assured of going to the tournament in Qatar.

Only Germany and Denmark have claimed places in Europe's 13-team quota in the 32-nation World Cup lineup before the qualifiers resume Thursday. Eight more will be known by Tuesday.

Paul Pogba will miss France's World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Finland because of a right thigh injury, the national team said Tuesday.

Video footage on French media showed the Manchester United midfielder pull up after taking a shot in training on Monday, before hobbling away.

Five of the 12 Super League founder clubs lie outside the Champions League qualifying places as domestic soccer pauses for the international break with surprise title challengers across Europe.

Barcelona and Juventus — who are helping lead a legal challenge by Super League members against UEFA — would not even qualify for European competition from their current standings of ninth and eighth, respectively, as they adjust to life without Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Spain called up Brais Méndez to replace the injured Yéremy Pino ahead of decisive World Cup qualifiers.

Pino was the third player dropped from the squad because of injuries before matches at Greece and against Sweden in Group B of European qualifying.

After just 11 games, Bayern Munich is already closing in on a record-extending 10th consecutive Bundesliga title.

There are still 23 matches to play, but a lack of realistic rivals means this season's title race is a one-team procession.

Thousands of fans arrived at the Camp Nou to welcome Xavi Hernández as Barcelona's new coach on Monday, hoping he can turn the club's fortunes around after a dismal start to its first season post-Lionel Messi.

Xavi, who thrived in Barcelona's side for several years when Paris Saint-Germain forward Messi was also in the same team, was officially introduced at a reception usually offered only to top players. Supporters chanted his name and waved club flags in the stands.

Italy coach Roberto Mancini has lost another two midfielders ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Switzerland on Friday.

Mancini, who was already without regular starter Marco Verratti through injury, said on Monday that Nicolò Zaniolo and Lorenzo Pellegrini would return to their club Roma.

A late push moved Real Sociedad back to first place in the Spanish league. A late collapse kept Atlético Madrid from getting closer to the top.

Atlético conceded twice in stoppage time in a 3-3 draw at Valencia on Sunday, while Sociedad scored twice in the final 20 minutes in a 2-0 win at Osasuna.