By Tim Stannard
  
1) New casting begins in eternal bid to replace Neymar
 
Remember all that kerfuffle just a few weeks ago? You know…Neymar marching off to PSG and Barcelona searching the globe for a replacement that wasn’t going to cost $200 million due to cheeky clubs taking advantage of an unfortunate predicament? Looking at you here Liverpool…
 
Well, all that was for nothing although it did pass a huge amount of enjoyable time in those sluggish summer months. Nothing - for at least four months anyway, Barcelona’s prognosis for the return of Ousmane Dembele who was operated on in Finland on Tuesday to fix a very tweaked tendon.
 
So, it’s back to the drawing board for Barca who now have to fill that Neymar hole – metaphorically speaking – and find a way of surviving past Christmas without running Leo Messi and Luis Suarez into the ground.  

The challenge continues live on beIN SPORTS at 3:55PM ET / 12:55PM PT with Barcelona playing a league clash at home to Eibar – stubborn, but surmountable – and Ernesto Valverde having to make a decision on whether to replace Dembele directly or adjust the formation. “We have [Gerard] Deulofeu, [Aleix] Vidal, Denis Suarez, Andre Gomes,” soothed the Barcelona boss. “Remember, we've a strong team and we'll get through with the options we have.”
 

 
The day in La Liga actually gets underway a little earlier with a rebuilding Valencia hosting Malaga live on beIN SPORTS at 1:50PM ET / 10:50AM PT. Over on beIN CONNECT 3 Inter are looking to make it four wins from four with an away clash at Bologna from 2:30PM ET / 11:30AM PT.
 
Catch all the best highlights and analysis on the XTRA at 7PM ET / 4PM PT.
 
2) Madrid prepare red carpet return for Ronaldo
 
Real Madrid are all gearing up for Wednesday’s home clash against Betis but Coach Zizou did drop in to say ‘bonjour’ to the media and talk about the very big news for the league champions – the return to La Liga action for Cristiano Ronaldo after serving a five-match suspension.
 
“We are glad that he is back and I hope that to be the last time we have to do without him,” said the relieved Real Madrid manager.

Coach Zizou also spoke about his own contract situation after the spate of renewals in the past week for Marcelo, Isco and Dani Carvajal. “"My renewal is already done," declared the Frenchman in a very non-Barcelona-Leo Messi contract renewal way.
 
Real Madrid host Betis in a feisty affair on Wednesday live on beIN SPORTS from 3:55PM ET / 12:55PM PT.
 
3) Bayern blow as Neuer out until new year
 
Bad news for Bayern Munich and also the under-pressure Carlo Ancelotti.
 
Manuel Neuer has been ruled out of action until next year. The German international broke his foot in training on Monday – a repeat of an earlier injury from last season – and has already had the matter fixed by the efficient Germans. "The operation went perfectly, which is the most important thing for now," declared Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Bayern are going to have to get used to life quickly without Neuer with the third-placed outfit away at Schalke in rare midweek Bundesliga action.
 
4) Mbappe leads way in Golden Boy shortlist
 
It’s Golden Boy time!
 
The bizarrely-named award run by Italian paper, Tuttosport, to choose Europe’s best U-21 player. Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele look set to battle it out for the title that has been running since 2003. The shortlist also includes Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marcus Rashford, Theo Hernandez and Christian Pulisic.  
 
Previous winners have included Leo Messi, Wayne Rooney, Sergio Aguero, Isco and Paul Pogba who have all gone on to have decent careers. However, last year’s winner Renato Sanches has stalled somewhat and is now on loan at Swansea City. So, be warned Mbappe.

 
 
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The life philosophy of Sports Burst is that if you are not upsetting someone, then you are not trying hard enough. SB is a daily trawl and troll through the morning's sports news to bring you fact-nuggets to make you both smile and swear. Hopefully at the same time