Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
Red Devils count rising injury toll 2 December 2011
Striker Dimitar Berbatov and Brazilian full-backs Rafael and Fabio have all been ruled out of Manchester United's clash with Aston Villa.
Manager Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed United would make the trip to Villa Park on Saturday without the 30-year-old Bulgarian, who had to be withdrawn at half-time from the Red Devils' midweek League Cup loss at home to Crystal Palace with an ankle problem.
Ferguson revealed the striker will only be out for a week and hoped the squad had enough quality to overcome a lengthening injury list at Old Trafford."Berbatov's injury isn't serious," Ferguson said. "He got injured the week before and it's just a recurrence of it.
"Hopefully he'll be okay in the next week.""We've been getting a few injuries but it happens. Every club gets them.""At the moment, we're going through a spell where we're getting a few a week, but we have a strong squad and we just have to get on with it."
Brazilian brothers Rafael and Fabio have also been confirmed by the Scot as absentees for the Premier League match, likely leaving Phil Jones and Chris Smalling to compete for a starting berth at right-back.Other players to miss out on the testing clash with Alex McLeish's team include Michael Owen, Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley and Anderson.
But Ferguson was in no mood to be pessimistic about the top flight clash and admitted he was highly anticipating the game at Villa Park on Saturday."The atmosphere is good there, the fans are close to the touchline and we've done well at Villa (in the past)," he said.
"Every time we've gone there, we've had to play well to win and we need to do that tomorrow."In the same fixture last season, United needed two late goals to salvage a 2-2 draw at the ground.Ashley Young, who Ferguson signed this summer from the Villans, scored a penalty against the Red Devils, with Marc Albrighton sending Aston Villa 2-0 up.
Captain Nemanja Vidic pulled a goal back for the visitors before substitute Federico Macheda levelled the game with five minutes remaining.
Premier League Weekend Team News A busy weekend of action in the Barclays Premier League will see high-flying Newcastle play hosts to Chelsea, while Arsenal travel to play Wigan.
Both London sides will be looking bounce back from midweek Carling Cup defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City, while Manchester United will also look to forget Wednesday's loss to Crystal Palace when they visit Aston Villa. City play hosts to Norwich, while Liverpool take on Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday.
Managerless Sunderland travel to Wolves on Sunday, while under-fire Blackburn manager Steve Kean will be hoping to pick up a much-needed win when his side entertain Swansea. Ahead of this weekend's fixtures, we take a look at all the news from the selection table.
Saturday Newcastle vs Chelsea Newcastle midfielder Cheik Tiote will be missing once again for Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash with Chelsea as he attempts to shake off a knee problem. The Ivory Coast international, who has been sidelined since the end of October, is also a doubt for next weekend's trip to Norwich, although manager Alan Pardew is confident he does not need surgery. Winger Jonas Gutierrez is suspended after being sent-off at Manchester United last Saturday, but striker Leon Best (groin) has returned to training and is available.
Chelsea will be without Josh McEachran. The midfielder was forced from the field in Tuesday's Carling Cup defeat to Liverpool with an injury to his left ankle, which he is expected to recover from in less than a fortnight. Long-term knee injury victim Michael Essien is the Blues' only other absentee.
Blackburn vs Swansea Striker Danny Graham is a major doubt for Swansea's Barclays Premier League trip to Blackburn. The former Watford striker is struggling with the Achilles injury he suffered in last weekend's goalless draw with Aston Villa, with Leroy Lita likely to lead the line in his absence. Right-back Angel Rangel is facing a month out after picking up an ankle problem in the same game so Wales Under-21 captain Jazz Richards is set for a first Premier League start.
Blackburn boss Steve Kean hopes to have a trio of defenders available again. Christopher Samba, Martin Olsson and Michel Salgado could all return to the Rovers backline after being sidelined by hamstring problems. Forward Junior Hoilett is doubtful due to the virus which ruled him out of Tuesday's Carling Cup defeat at Cardiff, while Steven Nzonzi serves the second game of his three-match suspension.
Man City vs Norwich Manchester City are set to revert to a more regular line-up for Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash with Norwich. Roberto Mancini made 10 changes for the midweek Carling Cup win at Arsenal but Sergio Aguero played almost an hour off the bench and could be rested with Bayern Munich next week in mind. Aleksandar Kolarov, who suffered a knock prior to the Arsenal game and played just over half an hour, will be assessed while Gareth Barry and Mario Balotelli return from suspension.
Norwich defender Ritchie de Laet is doubtful with a back problem. Centre-half Zak Whitbread could return to the squad following a hamstring injury having played for the reserves, alongside Dani Ayala, who is still recovering from a knee injury. Defender Elliott Ward has now been able to step up his rehabilitation from a knee ligament problem suffered in pre-season, but striker James Vaughan (knee) is still out.
Manchester City (from): Hart, Pantilimon, Richards, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Savic, K Toure, Kolarov, Clichy, Johnson, Milner, Y Toure, De Jong, Barry, Hargreaves, Nasri, Silva, Dzeko, Balotelli, Aguero. Norwich (from): Ruddy, Tierney, Martin, De Laet, Barnett, Naughton, Crofts, Johnson, Hoolahan, Pilkington, Bennett, Morison, Rudd, Surman, Jackson, Holt, Wilbraham, Fox, Whitbread.
QPR vs West Brom West Brom boss Roy Hodgson has to fill the gap left by long-term injury-victim Zoltan Gera for Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash with QPR at Loftus Road. The midfielder will be sidelined for the rest of the season with a ruptured anterior ligament suffered against Tottenham last weekend. Simon Cox replaced Gera in a 4-4-1-1 formation. Hodgson is hoping four-goal leading scorer Shane Long can shake off a groin injury which led to him being substituted after 70 minutes against Spurs. Peter Odemwingie is on stand-by to replace him.
Shaun Wright-Phillips is a doubt for QPR. There were fears that the former Manchester City winger had broken his foot last week at Norwich and, while manager Neil Warnock has denied there is a break, Wright-Phillips could miss the Loftus Road encounter. Third-choice goalkeeper Radnek Cerny looks set deputise in goal once more after injuries to first choice duo Paddy Kenny (gluteus maximus) and Brian Murphy (calf). QPR skipper Joey Barton returns from suspension, but Kieron Dyer and DJ Campbell (both foot) are out.
Tottenham vs Bolton Rafael van der Vaart has recovered from a hamstring injury and is available for Tottenham's Barclays Premier League game against Bolton. Sandro is struggling with a groin problem, but Roman Pavlyuchenko and Giovani Dos Santos are fit after overcoming their respective knee and groin injuries. Long-term absentees Michael Dawson (Achilles), Tom Huddlestone (ankle) and Niko Kranjcar (thigh) remain out.
Defender Dedryck Boyata and striker David Ngog both return to Bolton's squad for their match at Tottenham on Saturday. Boyata has been out since October with an ankle injury while a knee problem has restricted Ngog's involvement recently but both trained this week. Midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker is a major doubt after injuring a hamstring last weekend while centre-back David Wheater is suspended after his sending-off against Everton.
Tottenham (from): Gomes, Friedel, Cudicini, Bale, Kaboul, Corluka, Bassong, Rose, Gallas, King, Walker, Assou-Ekotto, Parker, Modric, Livermore, Townsend, Carroll, Fredericks, Lennon, Falque, Sandro, Pienaar, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe, Dos Santos, Adebayor, Van der Vaart, Kane. Bolton (from): Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Boyata, Cahill, Knight, Eagles, Robinson, Muamba, Petrov, K Davies, Klasnic, Tuncay, Bogdan, M Davies, Pratley, Ngog, Blake, Kakuta.
Wigan vs Arsenal Arsenal will be without midfielders Abou Diaby (hamstring) and Tomas Rosicky (thigh) for Saturday's Barclays Premier League trip to Wigan. Ryo Miyaichi (ankle) is also still out, along with defenders Carl Jenkinson (back) and Bacary Sagna (ankle). Jack Wilshere (ankle) and Kieran Gibbs (hernia) are long-term absentees.
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash with Arsenal at the DW Stadium. Emmerson Boyce, who has not featured in the squad for the last two matches, is back in training working on his fitness. Fellow defender Antolin Alcaraz misses out again as he serves the final game of his three-match suspension for spitting at Wolves' Richard Stearman.
Wigan (from): Al Habsi, Boyce, Caldwell, Figueroa, Watson, Diame, Moses, Gomez, McCarthy, Di Santo, Jones, Stam, Van Aanholt, McArthur, Lopez, Thomas, Sammon, Maloney, Crusat, Gohouri, Rodallega, McCarthy, Pollitt. Arsenal (from): Szczesny, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Santos, Song, Ramsey, Arteta, Gervinho, Walcott, Van Persie, Fabianski, Djourou, Benayoun, Frimpong, Arshavin, Chamakh, Coquelin.
Aston Villa vs Man United Dimitar Berbatov will miss Manchester United's trip to Aston Villa on Saturday with an ankle injury picked up in the midweek Carling Cup defeat by Crystal Palace. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson said the Bulgarian striker's injury is not serious, but also revealed that Brazilian twins Rafael and Fabio da Silva - who also picked up knocks against Palace - will miss out. Danny Welbeck is a doubt with a muscle strain while Anderson (knee), Michael Owen (thigh) and Tom Cleverley (ankle) are longer-term absentees.
Aston Villa skipper Stiliyan Petrov is back. The Bulgarian international missed Sunday's goalless draw at Swansea with a hamstring problem but has resumed training. Fellow midfielder Stephen Ireland is also in contention after missing the trip to Wales with a foot injury suffered in training. Defender Eric Lichaj (hip) remains the only long-term casualty.
Aston Villa (from): Given, Guzan, Hutton, Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Clark, Warnock, Beye, Herd, Delph, Bannan, Jenas, Petrov, Ireland, Albrighton, Bent, Heskey, Agbonlahor, N'Zogbia, Weimann. Manchester United (from): De Gea, Lindegaard, Smalling, Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evans, Evra, Nani, Valencia, Gibson, Carrick, Fletcher, Park, Giggs, Young, Rooney, Hernandez.
Sunday Everton vs Stoke Stoke boss Tony Pulis will shuffle his pack again for the Barclays Premier League trip to Everton on Sunday. The Welshman made eight changes from the side that beat Blackburn last weekend for Thursday night's 1-1 draw with Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League, and most of the players he rested are likely to come back in. Andy Wilkinson (calf and knee) remains a doubt while Jonathan Woodgate, who is ineligible in Europe, returns to the squad.
Everton manager David Moyes is hoping some of his injured players will be fit enough to return to action in the Barclays Premier League clash with Stoke on Sunday. The Scot had been optimistic midfielder Jack Rodwell (rib) and defenders Phil Neville (hamstring) and Sylvain Distin (groin) would be in contention for last weekend's victory over Bolton but they all missed out. Apostolos Vellios scored his third goal for the club as a substitute at the Reebok Stadium and is pushing for a start.
Wolves vs Sunderland Wolves expect to have a quartet of players back in contention for Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with managerless Sunderland at Molineux. Midfielders Jamie O'Hara and Stephen Hunt will return after missing the defeat at Chelsea through suspension while striker Kevin Doyle (knee) and defender Richard Stearman, who will play with a cast on his broken wrist, are expected to be available. But midfielder and former captain Karl Henry will have to serve a one game ban after incurring his fifth yellow card of the campaign at Stamford Bridge.
Caretaker Sunderland boss Eric Black is unlikely to make wholesale changes. Black, who has taken charge of team affairs in the wake of Steve Bruce's departure, has little room for manoeuvre with Titus Bramble and Fraizer Campbell (both knee) back in training, but short of match fitness. Striker Connor Wickham (knee ligaments) and goalkeepers Simon Mignolet (fractured nose and eye socket) and Craig Gordon (knee) also remain on the sidelines.
Monday Fulham vs Liverpool Lucas Leiva has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury so Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has to find a replacement in central midfield for Monday's trip to Fulham. Summer signing Jordan Henderson and Jay Spearing, who has been a back-up all season, look the most likely contenders. Captain Steven Gerrard is still sidelined with an ankle infection.
Damien Duff looks doubtful for Fulham's Barclays Premier League encounter with Liverpool on Monday. The Ireland international was forced off in the first half of last night's Europa League 1-0 defeat at FC Twente after the recurrence of a calf injury. Mousa Dembele also limped off but could feature at Craven Cottage, while Clint Dempsey should return from a thigh complaint. Bryan Ruiz comes back into contention after being cup-tied against former club Twente.
Ferguson considers loan move for United duo 3 December 2011
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Federico Macheda and Mame Biram Diouf may be loaned out.
Both Macheda and Diouf played in the shock Carling Cup loss to Crystal Palace during the week and Ferguson believes the duo would benefit from regular football.
Despite a Macheda penalty which levelled the game against Palace, United lost the tie 2-1 in extra-time and Ferguson later apologised for his team's poor showing.
"The problem we have is to do with the reserve league there is now - it's really a youth league," he told the club's official website."That is a big problem. We'll be reviewing the whole situation in terms of how we get more games for the players."
"Loan deals work well for all the young players in terms of getting game-time and that's what we're looking at with Macheda and Diouf. They need games.""They're young and every young player wants to play and we have to give them that opportunity."
The Red Devils will travel to Villa Park on Saturday for their Premier League clash against Aston Villa, looking to make amends for their midweek disappointment.
Death threats force Ferdinand out of home 3 December 2011
Anton Ferdinand was forced to flee from his house earlier this month following a serious death threat, QPR manager Neil Warnock revealed.
The threat came after the race row involving the defender and England captain John Terry earlier this season, in a matter that has been handed to the Crown Prosecution Service.The police's concern about the threat was high enough that he was advised to leave his house, and the manager believes the fiasco has caused Ferdinand to suffer from a slump in form.
"He's had a lot on his plate, really. You never know how things like this affect people," Warnock said."Before the (Manchester) City game, he had to move out of his house at 8pm - so that was not a good preparation for him."
"There were all sorts of things going on behind the scenes. I felt sorry for him.""With all that was going on off the field, we have to remember that he is only a human being and you've got to get your preparation right.""Unfortunately, we didn't have anybody else to put in. Everybody else was injured."
QPR have won only once since their match against Chelsea in which the saga erupted."Before this blew up, we were getting clean sheets and the two centre-halves were outstanding," Warnock said."I just want them to get back to that level."
Anelka, Alex axed from first-team
The futures of Nicolas Anelka and Alex at Chelsea look bleak after the duo were left out of first-team training by Andre Villas-Boas.
Young relishing Aston Villa return
Ashley Young is hoping for a friendly welcome when he returns to Aston Villa on Saturday for the first time since his summer move to Manchester United.
Newcastle postpone Speed tribute
Newcastle have postponed their planned tribute to former midfielder Gary Speed at the request of his wife Louise.
Tottenham may go in for Drogba
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp won't rule out a swoop for unsettled Chelsea striker Didier Drogba.
No action over Chelsea knife incident
Chelsea have confirmed a knife was discovered by cleaning staff in a dressing room at the club's training ground.
Wenger sympathizes with AVB
Arsene Wenger has every sympathy for what under-fire Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas is trying to achieve at Chelsea.
Fergie: Goals will come for Rooney
Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted he is unconcerned about Wayne Rooney's goal drought.
Injured Lucas grateful for support
Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has given thanks for the support he has received after his season was ended by a cruciate knee ligament injury.
Ruiz aims to bang them in for Fulham
Bryan Ruiz believes he can help provide the goals Fulham have lacked so far this season.
Martinez unworried by Wigan position
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez insists he is not overly concerned by the team's current position in the Barclays Premier League relegation zone.
McLeish rues Djalo's Villa revelation
Aston Villa trialist Yannick Djalo may be looking to impress at the club, but he has already made a mistake in the eyes of manager Alex McLeish.
Villas-Boas eyeing up Man City
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has warned Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester City his side are gunning for them.
Anelka, Alex transfer requests accepted
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has confirmed that the club have accepted transfer requests from Alex and Nicolas Anelka.
Pardew: Luiz should have seen red
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is to examine the rule book after admitting he was baffled as to why Chelsea's David Luiz was not sent off.
Martin O'Neill joins Sunderland
Martin O'Neill has signed a three-year contract to become manager of Sunderland.
Schwarzer: Tiredness not an excuse
Mark Schwarzer believes Fulham cannot use tiredness as an excuse for poor performance.
Dalglish: Tough leaving players out
Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish's man-management skills are being been tested to the limit by his players and he admits it is the hardest aspect of his job.
McCarthy grateful for strong backing
Mick McCarthy admits he could have been sacked as Wolves boss after the recent poor run of results.
McLeish hoping to keep Bent
Alex McLeish is confident Aston Villa can retain the services of striker Darren Bent.
Fergie seeks loan moves for pair
Sir Alex Ferguson is preparing to send young strikers Federico Macheda and Mame Biram Diouf out on loan in January.
Premier League awards for Spurs duo
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has picked up the Barclays Manager of the Month award for November, while Scott Parker has been awarded the Player of the Month accolade.
Moyes keen to take advantage
David Moyes is hoping Everton can take advantage of Stoke's post-Europe blues on Sunday but he admits he would happily swap places with opposite number Tony Pulis.
Ferguson worried despite 'deserved' win
Sir Alex Ferguson was left with mixed emotions after Javier Hernandez was stretchered off in Manchester United's 1-0 Barclays Premier League win over Aston Villa.
Coyle sees red over Cahill dismissal
Bolton manager Owen Coyle launched into an angry tirade against Stuart Attwell after the referee's decision to send off Gary Cahill in their 3-0 defeat to Tottenham.
Points matter more to Platt
First team coach David Platt claims the number of goals Manchester City are scoring this season is "irrelevant" compared to the importance of winning games.
Warnock happy despite draw
QPR manager Neil Warnock praised his players despite their frustrating 1-1 draw with West Brom.
Kean baffled as protests continue
Blackburn boss Steve Kean admitted he found it "hard to fathom" the protests which marred Ayegbeni Yakubu's four-goal solo show in the 4-2 win over Swansea.
Short hails "perfect choice" O'Neill
Sunderland chairman Ellis Short is convinced he got the "perfect" man when he appointed Martin O'Neill as the club's new manager.
Wenger hails all-action Gunners
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger hailed his side after they demolished Wigan 4-0 at the DW Stadium to climb to fifth in the Barclays Premier League table.
Taylor fitness concerns Magpies
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew was bracing himself on Saturday night for news of Steven Taylor's Achilles injury amid fears his season could be over.
Premier League awards for Spurs duo Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has picked up the Barclays Manager of the Month award for November, while Scott Parker has been awarded the Player of the Month accolade.
The awards come after Spurs registered three wins out of three against Fulham, Aston Villa and West Brom.
Tottenham have now won recorded five successive win in the league and stretched their current run to nine wins and a draw in the last 10.
November's accolade represents the second time this season Redknapp has taken the Barclays Manager of the Month award after taking the trophy in September.
"It's been a real team effort," said Harry. "The players have done the business on the pitch, they've been fantastic.
"My coaches have also been superb and it's a team effort, I'm just part of that team.
"We've had tough away games at Fulham and West Brom, never easy places to go and to pick up maximum points from those games was important."
Parker, meanwhile, has yet to taste defeat as a Spurs player - starting all of those last 10 matches since his arrival on transfer deadline day in August.
"I'm delighted," said Parker.
"It's a highly-regarded award. I'm really pleased to be selected and things have gone well over the last few months, long may it continue.
"It's great the manager has won as well. We've been on a great run of late, and let's hope we can keep it going."
Dalglish: No Stevie G setback Kenny Dalglish insists Steven Gerrard has not suffered a setback in recovering from an ankle infection and expects him"sooner rather than later".
Liverpool skipper Gerrard has been sidelined since the end of October with the ankle problem after only being back in action for several weeks following a long-term groin injury.
He has been restricted to just two starts and three substitute appearances for Liverpool this season and Dalglish admits no date has been pencilled in for the midfielder's return.
However, the Reds boss has sought to ease any concerns that the 31-year-old will be facing another lengthy spell in the treatment room.
Dalglish revealed the club are positive about the England international's rehabilitation and feels Gerrard is edging nearer to a playing comeback.
"Steven is getting closer to coming back but we cannot put a date on it," Dalglish told the Sunday Mirror.
"There's been no setback. We have said all along that we are really positive about his recuperation.
"Steven's progress has been excellent and he will be back sooner rather than later."
Anelka: I know where I'm going Nicolas Anelka says he knows where he will be playing for come January.
Chelsea confirmed on Saturday that the striker's transfer request, along with that of defender Alex, had been accepted.
Anelka will now leave in next month's transfer window, although he has yet to reveal his destination.
In a statement on his official website, Anelka said: "I've known for a little while where I'll be on January 2.
"The club, which is going through a difficult time, has decided to work with Chelsea's players of the future and, as I am a good professional, I have accepted this."
Anelka's opportunites have been limited this season due to the emergence of Daniel Sturridge and a new contract was not forthcoming.
The French international joined Chelsea for £15million in January 2008.
Ferguson, McLeish count injury cost 4 December 2011
Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has rued Javier Hernandez's likely absence of up to four weeks with suspected torn ankle ligaments.
Saturday’s English Premier League fixture against Aston Villa - which finished 1-0 in United's favour - was not yet 10 minutes old when Hernandez fell despite not having been touched by an opponent, prompting his immediate withdrawal on a stretcher.
"I think it's torn ligaments in the ankle, it'll keep him out for maybe four weeks," Ferguson told ESPN after the game."We're having a bad time with injuries at the moment, so it's just as well we have a strong squad."
Hernandez joins fellow forwards Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen, who both missed the game at Villa Park, on the treatment table.But aside from the knock to his young poacher, Ferguson was pleased with the outcome of the match, which was decided thanks to Phil Jones' maiden senior goal.
"I thought we deserved the victory," the Scot said."We had great possession at times. I feel we were a bit wasteful with the chances we had in the second half, but away from home at Villa Park is always a difficult place to go to. We’re happy with the result."
Villa had their own injuries to contend with, after Shay Given was replaced by Brad Guzan on 38 minutes and Jermaine Jenas left the pitch on a stretcher 20 minutes into the second half."I'm not sure but I think Shay had a little tweak in his hamstring.
Hopefully it's a grade one (tear) and will heal really quickly," Villa boss Alex McLeish told Sky Sports."Brad Guzan can be proud of the way he came in in those circumstances.""As for Jermaine Jenas, we don't know, but we think he's had an injury to his Achilles but we will wait until the morning to see."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has ruled out any January transfer window moves, unless he can sign a 'fantastic' player.
Wenger is confident that he has enough quality within his squad to cover for the expected absence of Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh during the African Cup of Nations, which kicks off in the new year.He told the club's official website:
"At the moment, I do nothing in January.""I have a big squad, but if you knock at my door and say 'I have a fantastic player for you', I will not turn it down.""If we have no injuries, we should get away with it because we have Oxlade-Chamberlain, who can play there, Park, Arshavin and Van Persie. So we still have offensive players, but we could be a bit short if we have an injury."
Chamakh has failed to make an impact at the Emirates despite an initially promising start to life in north London following his move from Bordeaux in 2010, with Wenger suggesting that the player's confidence may be the reason for his poor form of late.
"It is a confidence issue (with Chamakh), but it is difficult to loan him now because of the African Nations Cup.""They come back in February, usually quite tired, so it is not easy.""They need to go out two weeks before the tournament starts then it lasts two and a half weeks, then they need two weeks' recovery. So it is six weeks."
Manchester derby highlights FA Cup draw 4 December 2011
FA Cup holders Manchester City were drawn against rivals Manchester United in the third round on Sunday.
The match-up is the undoubted highlight of the third-round draw with the match giving Sir Alex Ferguson's side a chance to gain redemption after they lost 6-1 at Old Trafford in the last meeting between the two sides. This match will be played at Etihad Stadium and will give City, who are five points ahead of last season's Premier League champions on the table, another chance to get one over their city rivals.Roberto Mancini's City side defeated Stoke City 1-0 in the 2011 FA Cup Final, having defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the semi-final.
Arsenal will host Championship high-flyers Leeds United in the third round for the second year in succession in a bizarre twist of fate.The two sides met at the Emirates last year and Leeds were only denied a famous victory by Cesc Fabregas' last-minute penalty which earned the Gunners a 1-1 draw. That result forced a replay, which Arsenal won in Yorkshire, but Leeds, who won their only FA Cup in 1972 against the Gunners, will be out for revenge in north London on this occasion. A repeat of the 2010 FA Cup Final sees Chelsea take on Portsmouth, with the Blues set to host the Championship strugglers.
Either Southend or Oldham will enjoy a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool, pending on the result of their second-round replay, while Conference National side Tamworth will also be on the road to Merseyside as they face Everton at Goodison Park.League Two side Cheltenham Town travel to White Hart Lane to face Tottenham, while local derbies see Nottingham Forest host Leicester City and Birmingham City welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The only all-Premier League tie pits Newcastle United against Blackburn Rovers in a repeat of a dramatic Carling Cup tie that took place earlier this season, in which Blackburn won 4-3 after extra-time.All ties will be played on the weekend of January 7-8, 2012.
Full draw:
Middlesbrough v Shrewsbury
Nottingham Forest v Leicester City
Manchester City v Manchester United
Dagenham & Redbridge/Walsall v Millwall
Crawley v Bristol City
Doncaster v Sutton Utd/Notts County
Bristol Rovers v Aston Villa
Tottenham v Cheltenham Town
Sheffield Wednesday v West Ham
Milton Keynes Dons v QPR
Hull City v Ipswich Town
Coventry v Southampton
Brighton v Wrexham
Fulham v Charlton Athletic
Birmingham v Wolves
Norwich v Burnley
Arsenal v Leeds United
Derby v Crystal Palace
Fleetwood/Yeovil v Blackpool
Swindon v Wigan
Barnsley v Swansea
Chelmsford/Macclesfield v Bolton
Newcastle v Blackburn
Everton v Tamworth
Sheffield United v Salisbury City/Grimsby
Liverpool v Southend/Oldham
Gillingham v Stoke
Chelsea v Portsmouth
Watford v Bradford
Peterborough v Sunderland
West Brom v Cardiff
Reading v Stevenage.
Dalglish: Reds must be clinical
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has asked his players to start making their good performances pay by putting more points on the board.
Etuhu loving life at Fulham
Dickson Etuhu is once again enjoying life at Fulham after enduring a "very difficult time" at the club he loves.
Barry offers City fans words of caution
Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry has warned fans not to start expecting too many goals.
Welbeck gives Ferguson options
Sir Alex Ferguson is considering giving striker Danny Welbeck a start in Wednesday's crucial Champions League clash away to Basle.
Roberto Martinez keen to learn
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez has told his players they must make life more difficult for opponents after a 4-0 home defeat by Arsenal.
Villas-Boas happy with Blues' belief
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas saluted the belief of his players after they fought their way back into the Barclays Premier League's top four.
Kean ready for run of finals
Blackburn boss Steve Kean watched four-goal Yakubu sink Swansea in the first of four "cup finals".
Dorrans looks to fill Gera gap
West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans believes he can fill the void left by Zoltan Gera's season-ending injury.
Pardew: Ref admitted to Luiz mistake
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has revealed referee Mike Dean has admitted he should have sent off Chelsea defender David Luiz.
O'Neill: I am ready for Sunderland job
Martin O'Neill is looking forward to the challenge of trying to deliver success to Sunderland after revealing he has always felt a great affinity with the club.
Taylor set to miss rest of season
Newcastle defender Steven Taylor is likely to miss the rest of the season as he prepares to undergo surgery on his injured Achilles.
Dalglish: Maxi has been superb Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has showered praise on midfielder Maxi Rodriguez.
Irwin: Vidic better than Stam
Former Manchester United great Dennis Irwin thinks Nemanja Vidic is a better than another great Red Devil - Jaap Stam.
Wenger: Frustration driving RVP
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says in-form striker Robin van Perise is trying to make up for lost time.
Lindegaard: Rio, Vidic are world-class
Manchester United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard believes his side's form is down to a "world-class" defence.
Yakubu backs under-fire Kean
Four-goal hero Yakubu admits it will take more than one win to ease the pressure on Blackburn manager Steve Kean.
Drogba happy with win, praises Mata
Didier Drogba believes that Chelsea have taken an important step into getting back on their feet after their 3 - 0 victory over Newcastle on Saturday.
Redknapp to protect Van der Vaart
Harry Redknapp admits Rafael van der Vaart was disappointed not to start Tottenham's win over Bolton on Saturday, but says he is determined to protect the playmaker.
Kompany: Aguero's best yet to come
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has warned opponents that Argentinian star Sergio Aguero has not yet hit his best form.
Adam bemoans Lucas absence
Liverpool's Charlie Adam will run out in the Barclays Premier League at Fulham without his central midfield partner Lucas Leiva for only the second time this season.
Jol: Liverpool better off without Europe
Fulham manager Martin Jol believes Monday night's opponents Liverpool may be benefiting from a season without European football.
Yorke: Manchester title fight is on
Dwight Yorke believes the Manchester derby third round tie at the Etihad Stadium in January will decide which team eventually wins the Barclays Premier League title.
Coyle confident over Cahill card
Bolton manager Owen Coyle is confident the FA will overturn the red card shown to Gary Cahill and has hinted that he is unhappy with the performance of referees' chief Mike Riley.
McLeish offers N'Zogbia support
Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish insists he bears no grudges against Charles N'Zogbia after disciplining the winger and wants to help him rediscover the form that made him the club's major summer signing.
McCarthy hails 'brilliant' Hennessey
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy hailed a great performance from his side in their comeback 2-1 win over Sunderland and singled out goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey for praise.
Moyes critical of 'poor' Mason
Everton manager David Moyes criticised referee Lee Mason for having a "poor" game but accepted the official was not the cause behind his side's 1-0 defeat at home to Stoke.
Parker: Spurs can challenge for title
Scott Parker thinks Tottenham will be challenging for the title at the end of the season if they maintain their recent excellent form.
Pulis plays down Sorensen concerns
Tony Pulis has played down concerns over Thomas Sorensen's head injury after the goalkeeper was stretchered off in Stoke's 1-0 victory over Everton.
Former Man United player jailed
Former Manchester United midfielder Ronnie Wallwork has been jailed for 15 months for selling on parts from stolen high-performance cars.
Bolton appeal Cahill red card
Bolton have appealed against the red card shown to defender Gary Cahill in the Barclays Premier League defeat to Tottenham on Saturday, the Reebok Stadium club have confirmed.
O'Neill to meet Sunderland squad
Martin O'Neill will introduce himself to the majority of Sunderland's players having seen first hand their limitations at Wolves on Sunday.
Warnock won't buy strikers in Jan
Queens Park Rangers manager Neil Warnock has hinted he will not sign a striker in the January transfer window as he needs to strengthen elsewhere.
Markovic dreams of Chelsea move
Lazar Markovic has revealed that he would love to join Chelsea after being linked with a move to the Premier League.
Craddock fumes at Larsson dive
Wolves defender Jody Craddock has branded Sunderland winger Sebastian Larsson a diver after the penalty award during Sunday's clash at Molineux.
Brown hoping for O'Neill lift
Sunderland defender Wes Brown is hoping new manager Martin O'Neill can boost the Black Cats' confidence.
Rovers' Kean targetting top 10 finish
Blackburn manager Steve Kean is confident his side can secure a top-10 finish in the Barclays Premier League.
Hodgson to keep an open mind on Ream West Brom boss Roy Hodgson is keeping an open mind about the prospect of signing Tim Ream after the USA international started a trial at the club.
Huth wants new Stoke deal Robert Huth has confirmed he would be keen to sign a contract extension and commit his long-term future to Stoke.
Moyes unsure about Everton funds David Moyes admits Everton need a new striker, but says he is not sure whether he will be given the funds to buy one in January.
N'Zogbia: No rift with McLeish
Charles N'Zogbia insists there is no problem between him and Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish after he was left out of the weekend's defeat by Manchester United.
Agent: Tevez wants to play in Europe
Carlos Tevez's advisor insists his client's priority is to play in Europe next year.
Toure hits out at City for exclusion
Former Manchester City skipper Kolo Toure has claimed he is being left out of the side for 'non-footballing' reasons.
Dalglish brands Suarez chants scandalous
Kenny Dalglish branded the chants of 'cheat' aimed at Luis Suarez during Liverpool's 1-0 defeat by Fulham on Monday night as "scandalous".
Frimpong feared for Arsenal career
Emmanuel Frimpong admits there was a time he thought his chance with Arsenal was gone.
Dempsey happy with "big" win
Fulham forward Clint Dempsey has outlined the importance of his team's late victory over Liverpool which pulled them out from the relegation zone in the Premier League.
Jones: I will play anywhere for United
Manchester United starlet Phil Jones has indicated his willingness to fill in any position in Sir Alex Ferguson’s starting eleven.
Suarez caught in hand gesture storm
Luis Suarez could be facing another disciplinary charge from the FA after making a crude gesture towards the Fulham fans following Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat.
Dalglish bemoans Spearing red card
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish was left frustrated after his side's 1-0 loss to Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday evening.
Sturridge: AVB is here to stay
Daniel Sturridge has insisted Chelsea's players had no doubt whatsoever that Andre Villas-Boas would be allowed to see out his three-year project at the club.
Villa lose Given for a month
Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given will be sidelined for a month after suffering a hamstring injury against Manchester United on Saturday, the club have confirmed.
Rodwell wants to break bad habit
Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell believes the side have got into a bad habit of conceding the first goal in matches which is impacting badly on results.
Ward: Players are behind McCarthy
Acting skipper Stephen Ward insists Mick McCarthy is still the right person to manage Wolves and has the backing of all the players.
Appleton at Portsmouth for long term
Portsmouth boss Michael Appleton insists he is committed to the club for the long term.
Giroud plays down Newcastle link
Reported Newcastle target Olivier Giroud insists he is very happy at Ligue 1 leaders Montpellier after a blistering start to the season.
Former Man United player jailed Former Manchester United midfielder Ronnie Wallwork has been jailed for 15 months for selling on parts from stolen high-performance cars.
Police stumbled upon the illegal vehicle-breaking operation of Wallwork, 34, while investigating a string of unconnected armed robberies across Lancashire.
Wallwork, from Failsworth, Manchester, was working out of a rented scrapyard unit in Newton Heath when he was arrested last November. It emerged he had sold a Volkswagen Touran engine and parts from a BMW 318i on eBay, while he was observed driving a Mazda Furano into the scrapyard three days after it was stolen from a car dealer.
The three stolen vehicles he was linked to were worth more than £43,000 in total, Preston Crown Court heard. He pleaded guilty to three counts of handling stolen goods at an earlier hearing. Sentencing him, Judge Simon Newell said he could not agree with the defence barrister's request to impose a suspended jail term.
He said: "These were high-value items that were stolen. "It seems to me they were taken in a professional and sophisticated way. It also seems clear to me that they were taken to go into the black market either to be sold on or broken down and sold on. "You provided the facility for that to happen. There was an element of organisation and sophistication in what went on."
Wearing a grey suit, Wallwork stared ahead blankly before he was led to the cells from the dock. Wallwork, who represented England at under-20 level, joined United as a trainee in 1993 but struggled to command a first-team place and was loaned to a number of clubs before he joined West Brom in 2002.
Loan periods at Bradford, Barnsley and Huddersfield followed before he moved to Sheffield Wednesday in 2008 where he made just seven appearances. Rachel Woods, defending, said: "There was no evidence to suggest that the defendant was responsible for the organised thefts of the vehicles or had any input in that. These are not thefts to order. He was not using the garage to ring the vehicles through.
"He had clearly succumbed to temptation in a stage of his life when his finances had taken a dramatic turn for the worse." She said that, until relatively recently, Wallwork had a "promising career" as a professional footballer but it was "tragically cut short" when he was the victim of a serious assault about four years ago.
Miss Woods said he nearly lost his life in the bar stabbing in which he suffered wounds to the back and stomach - for which his assailant received a five-and-a-half-year jail sentence. "Mr Wallwork tried as best as he could to regain full fitness and resume his career but he was not able to fulfil the potential he had previously shown," she said.
It sadly led to the termination of his career, she added. "Thereafter he has struggled to find a proper path to continue with his life," she said. Wallwork had lost a lot of money in two failed businesses before he set up the initially legitimate concern from the 10 Arches scrapyard.
"By the end of 2010 he succumbed to temptation by purchasing three stolen cars which, in due course, were stripped and various items were sold on for a financial benefit," said Miss Woods. Since admitting his crimes he had taken advantage of various services offered to him by the Professional Footballers' Association and had undergone counselling from which he had benefited.
She argued that it would not serve the public interest to jail a man of previous good character for what she said should be treated as "one-off offences". The main targets of the surveillance by the North West Regional Crime Squad between September and October 2010 were career criminals Craig Bulger and Mark Cain - who shot a security guard several times at a Tesco branch in Preston.
Bulger, 51, had been tracked to the same scrapyard where Wallwork was based. In June, Cain, 48, of Ashfield Rise, Catterall, and Bulger, of Scotland Hall Road, Newton Heath, were both given indeterminate sentences with minimum terms of more than seven years after admitting armed robbery and possessing firearms.
On Monday, Sarah Johnston, prosecuting, said the VW Touran worth £12,340 had been stolen from an address in Worsley in March 2010, the BMW worth £15,000 in a burglary in Wigan in September 2010, and the Mazda worth £16,000 was stolen from a compound at Nidd Vale garage in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, later the same month.
The driving licence of the BMW driver was later found at Wallwork's home address, along with a disabled badge belonging to the motorist's mother. Wallwork made no comment when interviewed on the matters by detectives.
Judge Newell said he had received a number of references on the defendant's behalf and accepted his footballing career regretfully came to an end with a criminal act in which he played no part. But he added: "You are a man who had employment, who had a stable upbringing and knew well how to behave yourself in public and you let yourself down at the end of 2010.
"I am afraid I am not able to accede to the request to suspend sentence." Wallwork received 15 months concurrently on each of the three counts.
Dalglish brands Suarez chants scandalous
Kenny Dalglish branded the chants of 'cheat' aimed at Luis Suarez during Liverpool's 1-0 defeat by Fulham on Monday night as "scandalous".
Suarez saw a wonderful second-half finish disallowed for offside and had a couple of penalty shouts in the Barclays Premier League clash at Craven Cottage rejected. Fulham fans felt Suarez went down too easily at times and made their anger known, but Dalglish leapt to the Uruguay striker's defence.
Asked for his thoughts of the 'cheat' taunts directed at Suarez, Dalglish said: "Scandalous. I would like to see you write that in the paper because you would be in a bit of trouble as well. You write what you want to write.
"At the end of the day, we will look after Luis the best we can and I think it is about time he got a wee bit of protection from some people." An air of grievance hung over Liverpool's return north following a controversial evening in south west London. Apart from Suarez's goal, Jay Spearing was dubiously shown a straight red card for a tackle on Mousa Dembele while Philippe Senderos could have conceded a penalty and been shown a red card for hacking down Charlie Adam
Instead, referee Kevin Friend ruled the tackle was executed just outside the area, a decision confirmed by replays. Once Spearing had gone, Fulham took control with Clint Dempsey firing a short-range winner six minutes from time. "It could have gone either way but I don't think we were going to get anything, were we?" Dalglish said.
"The goal Luis Suarez scored [that was ruled offside] could have gone either way. "Charlie Adam could have got a penalty when he was pulled down on the edge of the box. "The goalie could perhaps not have saved the one he pushed onto the bar before Fulham went down and scored, but they did so that is it. "That display wasn't as well as we've been playing, but it was enough to have won the game."
Suarez caught in hand gesture storm Luis Suarez could be facing another disciplinary charge from the FA after making a crude gesture towards the Fulham fans following Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat.
According to a report from English broadsheet The Daily Mail, the Uruguayan - who is already facing a racism charge - finally snapped after full time when he pointed a finger towards the Cottagers' faithful. Suarez was given an absolute barracking by the home supporters during the entire match, with Fulham fans constantly chanting "cheat" in response to the former's theatrical antics.
His less-than-ideal response towards the home fans will now be scrutinized by FA disciplinary honchos, who will decide on Tuesday whether further action should be taken. Another potential charge would be a devastating blow for Suarez and Liverpool, with the former Ajax striker having already been charged by the FA for making racist comments towards Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra during October's 1-1 stalemate at Anfield.
Speaking after his side's disappointing 1-0 reverse to Fulham, Kop manager Kenny Dalglish hinted that he may have to have a word with Suarez regarding the latter's behavior. 'I haven't seen the picture and I'm not taking anybody's word for it,' said Dalglish. 'If you show me the picture and I'm convinced that what you're saying is true, then I've got a decision to make.'
Dalglish also brushed aside the "cheat" jibes directed towards his talismanic number seven, saying, ‘That's scandalous. We'll look after Luis as best we can, and I think it's about time he got a bit of protection from some people.' 'His integrity is impeccable. He can look in the mirror and go to bed at night and sleep soundly.'
Liverpool were forced to labour on for the final twenty minutes after midfielder Jay Spearing - who was making just his first league start of the season - was shown a straight red following his crunching challenge on Moussa Dembele. However, according to Dalglish, the sending off did not seem plausible, especially after replays clearly showed Spearing making contact with the ball.
'I think, you need to ask the referee what their interpretation is? What the level of acceptance is?,' Dalglish queried. ‘Jay never had another thought in his mind but to win the ball, and he did win it.' 'As long as the officials are consistent, it's not a problem. But I don't think we were going to get anything tonight, were we?'
'The (offside) goal that Luis scored, Charlie [Adam] could have had a penalty. We played well enough to have won the game.' His counterpart Martin Jol though felt that Spearing deserved his marching orders. 'Was it a red card? I think it was a bad tackle. 'If you see from another angle, you saw his ankle up there and I think it was a sending off,' Jol added.
The Reds, who are now struggling in a disappointing seventh position, are a whopping 15 points behind league leaders Manchester City and five adrift of fourth placed Chelsea.
