England rocked by Beckham injury

Beckham had his right knee bandaged after being substituted
England have suffered a major injury scare ahead of September's Euro 2008 qualifiers after David Beckham hurt his knee playing for LA Galaxy.
Beckham, 32, was taken off during the Superliga final with Pachuca after twisting his knee in a block tackle.

"At this stage it's hard to tell, but it doesn't feel good," said Beckham.

"A ligament strain is four to six weeks but we'll have to wait for the results of the scan on Friday. If it is four to six, I won't be flying to England."


Beckham, who has had recent problems with an ankle injury, added: "I went into the tackle a little light because of my ankle and tried to compensate for that.

"I'd have been better off not doing it at all. Maybe it's a sign that I need a rest and don't come back until it's right."

606: DEBATE
Give your reaction to Beckham's latest injury

England entertain Israel at Wembley on Saturday 8 September and then host Russia four days later.

The Galaxy lost the match to the Mexicans 4-3 on penalties and Beckham, who stayed in the treatment room after half-time, returned to the touchline in a suit when the match went into extra-time.

"I was on the treatment bed," he said. "But when it went to extra-time I wanted to be out there on the field, cheering the lads on as best I could."

Beckham had earlier been quoted as saying that if England reach the Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland, he will be fitter than he has been at previous international tournaments.

Beckham told the Daily Express: "If we do qualify, I'll be a lot more rested than people playing in the Premier League.

"That is a big advantage of being in the USA, where the fixture calendar is different. It's also the advantage of the shorter season from April to October here.

"If we make it to the finals, I will be a lot fresher going into games."


source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/6969893.stm

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Anelka was linked with a move to Old Trafford

Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka has ended speculation over his future by signing a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2011.
Anelka, 28, has been linked with a move away from the Reebok, with several Premier League clubs interested.

But he said: "I seem to have been linked with every club in the country of late, but my heart is with Bolton.

"I am very happy with my form, the club and the manager so signing a new contract was not a difficult decision."
Anelka signs new deal with Bolton
French international Anelka joined the Trotters from Fenerbahce last summer for £8m, signing an initial four-year deal.

However, the much-travelled forward recently hinted he could leave if the club's poor start to the season continued.

This shows our ambition to be amongst the top clubs, not just in this country but across the world of football

Sammy Lee
But he seems to have been convinced of their ambition, adding: "Hopefully we will prosper together because I would not have remained at Bolton if I'd thought we could not win trophies."

Bolton boss Sammy Lee added: "It is a fantastic boost that Nicolas has agreed to stay with us.

"We have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get him to commit his long-term future to us.

"Nicolas is one of the world's best strikers and I am immensely proud and happy that he has shown such commitment to the club.

"It's also a boost for the dressing room because a team never wants to lose anybody of Nicolas's stature and presence.

"This shows our ambition to be amongst the top clubs, not just in this country but across the world of football."

Give your thoughts on Anelka's new deal

The Trotters lost their opening three matches under new manager Lee following a summer in which Anelka was linked to the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Portsmouth.

"If I have to leave, it'll be because of bad results," he said last week.

"I want to be in a team that rivals big clubs not one playing to finish 10th or 15th. I want to rediscover a big club."

Anelka, who has played for Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City in the Premier League, has rediscovered his best form while at Bolton and is now a regular in the France team.

Trotters defender Nicky Hunt has also signed a new four-year deal with the Trotters.


Meanwhile, Scotland Under-21 manager Archie Knox has joined Bolton's backroom staff.
The former Manchester United, Rangers and Everton assistant boss will work under Sammy Lee as coaching co-ordinator.


source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/bolton_wanderers/6970318.stm

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Man Utd striker Solskjaer retires

Solskjaer has scored 126 goals in his Man Utd career
Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has retired from football.
The 34-year-old, who scored the winner in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in 1999, has been battling knee injuries for four years.

"I would like to thank manager Sir Alex Ferguson, the coaching and medical staff and most of all the supporters," Solskjaer told the club website.

He added: "They have been fantastic and were a real inspiration to me when I was out injured."


Solskjaer has caused many a curse from opposing teams

BBC Sport's Phil McNulty

The player's father Oyvind Solskjaer said: "He would have liked to stay on and was hoping for a 100% recovery.

"But something has happened with his knee which made it impossible for him to continue."

Solskjaer, who will remain at the club as a coach, joined United from Molde for £1.5m in 1996 and the former Norway international has made 366 appearances for United, scoring 126 goals.

He also collected six league championship and two FA Cup medals with United.

Ferguson said: "Ending your playing career is a sad day for anyone, in the case of Ole, he has 11 fantastic years he can look back on.

He has been a great servant to the club and has always remained a model professional

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson

"Ole has achieved everything a player could ever wish to achieve.

"He has been a great servant to the club and has always remained a model professional in his responsibility as a player, in his demeanour and his manners have always been exemplary. Ole will hopefully go on to be a good coach."

The club's chief executive David Gill said: "Ole has provided us all with some exceptional memories during his time here at the club.

"Nobody will ever forget his dramatic winner in Barcelona, but much more than that his dedication and professionalism make him one of the great role models in football.

"Ole will be dearly missed as a player, but will go on to serve the club as an ambassador and a valuable coach."

Solskjaer scored 11 goals as the Red Devils reclaimed their Premier League crown last season.

His last game for Sir Alex Ferguson's side was the FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea on 19 May when he came on as an extra-time substitute at Wembley.

He has already spent time at United coaching young players and was appointed a club ambassador last year.

The retirement of Solskjaer leaves Ferguson with only three strikers - Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha and Carlos Tevez - the latter being the only one presently fully fit.

Ferguson has been linked with a move for Bolton's Nicolas Anelka and Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov, although the latter has insisted his immediate future lies at White Hart Lane.

I would like to thank manager Sir Alex Ferguson, the coaching and medical staff and most of all the supporters

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer


United have sold fellow strikers Alan Smith to Newcastle and Giuseppe Rossi to Villarreal.

Tevez has also been included in Argentina's squad for the friendly against Australia in Melbourne next month, which could further stretch Ferguson's resources.

Saha, whose own United career has been dogged by injury, had hoped to make his return against Spurs at the weekend but his comeback was aborted.

He is expected to be fit to face Sunderland at the weekend, but his persistent knee problems have proved a major cause of concern.

Solskjaer returned to fitness last term, and was hopeful of playing a meaningful role this season, despite undergoing minor knee surgery in June.

But he has had problems during his rehabilitation and recently admitted he fully expected this to be his last season.

Now the announcement that one of Old Trafford's most popular figures is quitting the game has been brought forward.

source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/6966229.stm

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Man City 1-0 Man Utd

By Chris Bevan



Geovanni celebrates after putting Man City ahead
Manchester City made it three Premier League wins out of three this season with a shock win over rivals United.

United dominated from the off and Nani forced Kasper Schmeichel into two good saves early on as City hung on.

The home side had created nothing until they took the lead when Geovanni's shot deflected home off Nemanja Vidic.

Vidic hit the bar as United continued to pour forward but City, led by the impressive Micah Richards, held out and United are still winless this campaign.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side have taken only two points from their first three games and the champions are now seven points behind City at the summit of the table.

It has been the perfect start to the season for the Blues and their new boss Sven-Goran Eriksson who is yet to see his hastily-assembled side concede a goal.

That statistic seemed unlikely early on as United started like a train and, with City struggling to keep the ball let alone do anything constructive with it, it seemed just a matter of time before they took the lead.

Inside the first five minutes Nani forced an instinctive block out of Schmeichel and the young keeper did well to hold a firm shot from the same player soon after.

United had set up camp inside City's half by now and another neat move set Patrice Evra running clear only for him to slice his shot horribly wide.

City, who had lost Valeri Bojinov to injury early on too, were simply hanging on and if not for the brilliant Richards they would surely have collapsed.

England coach Steve McClaren is short of centre-backs for Wednesday's friendly with Germany and he will surely be glad he can call on the 19-year-old City defender to play there if needed.

Richards, nominally a right-back, began the season in the centre under Eriksson and has emerged as a real star of the new Eriksson regime.

He made one brilliant tackle to deny Tevez as the Argentine closed in on goal and then made a timely clearance after Schmeichel had dropped a Giggs cross.

But at the other end City were still creating absolutely nothing and it was a total shock when they took the lead on 32 minutes.

With United's defence backing off, Elano fed Geovanni who let fly with a 25-yard shot that span off Vidic's back and swerved into the corner of the net.

If anything, City controlled the remainder of the half but United were soon threatening again after the break.

Vidic beat Richard Dunne to Giggs' corner but saw his header cannon off the crossbar before another dangerous Giggs cross was somehow cleared from danger by Richards.

Yet more United possession followed and Tevez went close to levelling when he flicked another Giggs ball agonisingly wide.

But the goal would just not come for Ferguson's men and their frustrating afternoon was summed up in injury time.

Another Giggs corner found it's way to Tevez at the far post but the Argentine could not react quickly enough to find the target with his header and City survived again.


source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6941879.stm

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Heinze wants arbitration hearing

Heinze has had a brief break after the Copa America
Gabriel Heinze will take his dispute with Manchester United to a Premier League arbitration panel next week regarding his wish to leave the club.
The Argentine wants to join Liverpool and claims he has a letter from United which would allow him to leave if a club offered a fee of £6.8m.

However, United insist they made it clear Heinze would not be permitted to join one of their title rivals.


Heinze, 29, has two years still remaining on his United contract.


Interview: Liverpool chief exec Rick Parry

Despite the row over his future he has vowed to "carry on like a professional" and is continuing pre-season training with the Old Trafford club.

And he met manager Sir Alex Ferguson at United's Carrington training ground yesterday to discuss his future, having confirmed he has brought in lawyers to try to force through a move to Anfield.

Previously United chief executive David Gill said he was happy the club was in the right.

"He is a contracted player for two years and unless we receive an offer which is acceptable to us as a club, he will remain with us," he said.

Gill says that prior to Liverpool revealing their interest, he verbally informed Heinze's agent that United would not be prepared to sell him to any of their three major domestic rivals.

That conversation is thought to have been recorded, and if so, could feasibly be used as evidence if the matter ended up in court.

Ferguson believes Heinze's representatives have unsettled the defender.

"I think that if we could take away the agent's role in this I don't think an awful lot is wrong with Gabi's position at the club," said Ferguson.

"We've looked after Gabi very well. He had his cruciate knee operation and we looked after him.

"We let him do his rehabilitation in Spain, which he wanted and I think he's delighted at how we've treated him. We've conducted ourselves in a way that suited Gabi perfectly."

But Heinze, who signed from Paris St Germain in 2004, is thought to be keen to leave, and the large Spanish-speaking contingent at Anfield may be an attraction.

If he did end up at Liverpool, Heinze would become the first player to go directly from Old Trafford to Anfield since Phil Chisnall in 1964.


source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/6912488.stm

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