Injury concerns for Real duo

Real Madrid duo Kaka and Alvaro Arbeloa are both in doubt for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Lyon because of minor muscle injuries.

Spanish giants Real revealed the news on Monday but did not disclose how long the players will be out for.

Kaka came on as a second-half substitute in Madrid’s 1-0 victory at Real Sociedad on Saturday, while Arbeloa played the whole match.

Real defender Ricardo Carvalho is still recovering from a back injury and has been ruled out of the midweek encounter at Stade de Gerland.

Real currently top Group D with a perfect record after three games, while Lyon have four points.

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Injury concerns for Stoke

Stoke City have injury doubts over winger Matthew Etherington and forward Jonathan Walters for Tuesday’s clash at home to Fulham.

Etherington was substituted after taking a kick on the knee and Walters suffered a blow on his shoulder during Boxing Day’s 2-0 victory at Blackburn Rovers.Stoke manager Tony Pulis said: “We don’t think there is any serious damage to either of them, but the question is can they recover in time? We are hopeful but we will have to see.”Tuncay Sanli could be handed his first start since Stoke lost at Sunderland eight games ago if Etherington fails to come through, while Ricardo Fuller is likely to be recalled in place of Walters in any event.Stoke will start as firm favourites to heap further misery on a Fulham team which dropped into the relegation zone after Sunday’s home defeat by fellow strugglers West Ham.But Pulis believes Mark Hughes’ team are in a false position and has warned his players against complacency.”Fulham are fighting for their lives and they have a lot of quality players,” Pulis said.”I’m tipping them to start climbing the table very soon and we’ve got to do our utmost to make sure that process doesn’t start tomorrow.”We will have a full house and a great atmosphere and another three points would make it a great Christmas for our supporters and everyone else involved with the club.”

Mon 27 December, 2010

Injury concerns for Stoke

Stoke City have injury doubts over winger Matthew Etherington and forward Jonathan Walters for Tuesday’s clash at home to Fulham.

Etherington was substituted after taking a kick on the knee and Walters suffered a blow on his shoulder during Boxing Day’s 2-0 victory at Blackburn Rovers.Stoke manager Tony Pulis said: “We don’t think there is any serious damage to either of them, but the question is can they recover in time? We are hopeful but we will have to see.”Tuncay Sanli could be handed his first start since Stoke lost at Sunderland eight games ago if Etherington fails to come through, while Ricardo Fuller is likely to be recalled in place of Walters in any event.Stoke will start as firm favourites to heap further misery on a Fulham team which dropped into the relegation zone after Sunday’s home defeat by fellow strugglers West Ham.But Pulis believes Mark Hughes’ team are in a false position and has warned his players against complacency.”Fulham are fighting for their lives and they have a lot of quality players,” Pulis said.”I’m tipping them to start climbing the table very soon and we’ve got to do our utmost to make sure that process doesn’t start tomorrow.”We will have a full house and a great atmosphere and another three points would make it a great Christmas for our supporters and everyone else involved with the club.”

Mon 27 December, 2010

Fergie expresses agent concerns

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has expressed concern over the growing influence player agents have in football.

The 68-year-old’s comments come in the wake of Blackburn’s sacking of former manager Sam Allardyce last week, with Ferguson insinuating that the involvement of the SEM Group, a player agency, was crucial in the shock decision.

Speaking on the day he became Manchester United’s longest serving manager, Ferguson told the Daily Telegraph on Sunday that he saw the growing influence of agents as a ’serious threat’.

“I think it’s very difficult these days (to build a club) with the life we’re in now,” Ferguson said.

“There’s intense pressure on managers. You’ve got that issue at Blackburn of an agent involved and deciding the future of the club, Jerome Anderson (of the SEM Group), he couldn’t pick his nose.”

“It’s baffling and it’s a serious threat to how clubs get run and how they conduct themselves.”

Ferguson believes managers are being sacked far too regularly and took a swipe at Blackburn’s new owners for choosing to dispense with Allardyce.

“It’s becoming trendy to sack a manager in difficult circumstances and I just wonder whether Blackburn thought, ‘You know, if Newcastle can do it, we can do it’,” he said.

“I don’t know the answers to it, but what I can say is that a manager’s job, whatever he’s getting paid, it’s not worth it. If Sam had won on Sunday, they’d have gone fifth in the league.”

“But he still would have got sacked because they would have said they should be fourth.”

Scottish coach Steve Kean remains the caretaker manager at Blackburn as the search for Allardyce’s successor continues.

Sun 19 December, 2010