Beckham to miss World Cup

David Beckham is out of the World Cup after tearing his Achilles tendon.

The England midfielder was carried off on a stretcher in tears during the closing minutes of AC Milan’s 1-0 win over Chievo on Sunday night.

Replays showed the 34-year-old injure his left foot without coming into contact with anyone else.

Beckham limped to the touchline for medical attention and was overheard telling the Milan bench “it’s broken, it’s broken” as he came off.

Milan coach Leonardo said: “Beckham’s injury makes us feel terrible. David understood immediately that he had torn his Achilles tendon.

“He is an extraordinary guy and today’s game proves it yet again. I cannot enjoy this evening considering this serious injury.”

England manager Fabio Capello is understood to have spoken with Beckham on Sunday evening to offer his commiserations.

Milan vice president, Adriano Galliani, confirmed that the former Manchester United star will fly to Finland on Monday to have surgery on the torn tendon and is likely to be out for “five or six months”.

Beckham had hoped to become the first England player to feature in four successive World Cup finals but experts insist the chances of him playing in this summer’s tournament are “non-existent”.

Quinn: Bruce will be manager next season

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has insisted Steve Bruce will not be sacked even if the club are relegated.

The Black Cats ended a 14-game win-less run with a 4-0 victory at home to Bolton on Tuesday night but Bruce’s position remains a source of debate amongst supporters.

Quinn remains convinced that Bruce is the man to take the club forward - a view shared by American owner Ellis Short, who visited Wearside last week to offer his support to the manager and his players.

He said: “I can assure you now that even if we don’t win another game between now and the end of the season, Steve will be manager here next year. If we go down, he’ll still be the manager.

“Ellis is a big admirer of Steve and that continued despite the disappointing run we’ve had.

“Thankfully, he’s a realist and knows that this game can be tough.

“He knows that things rarely go smoothly in football and that there were a lot of factors such as injuries and suspensions and sometimes just the drop of the ball, that hampered us during that time.

“Ellis lets us run the business and he’s not affected by the message boards or the media speculation. He has faith in me and my chief executive Steve Walton and he has faith in the manager we thought was the perfect person to take the club forward.

“Despite the results the owner never once questioned whether we had the right manager.”

While Quinn is confident that Sunderland will retain their Premier League status, he revealed the club has taken steps to protect itself should the worst happen.

“We have got ourselves structurally very sound to deal with all eventualities,” he said. “Obviously the preferred eventuality is spending to improve the squad and move up the table.

“We do have an aim of being an established top-ten club over time, but we don’t want to find ourselves desperately losing sleep in April over whether we are going to be in this league every year.

“Nothing will hurt this club in the way it might have in the past. Anybody who comes to this club has to agree to a 40 per cent deduction in the event of us getting relegated and it’s the same for senior staff and players already here who sign a new contract.”

Stronger

The Black Cats are about to release their latest financial figures, with Quinn expecting them to reveal a £26million loss for 2008-09 - but that figure represents the most recent investment in the squad.

He said: “The accounts will show the word loss, but that should really be interpreted as extra signings. We could easily shown a profit, but we wouldn’t have [Michael] Turner, [Darren] Bent, [Lee] Cattermole or [Lorik] Cana.

Chief executive Steve Walton says the club remain on a solid financial footing with Texan tycoon Short converting a £48m loan into shares last summer.

He said: “What it means is that the money is effectively there forever and can’t be withdrawn. It has made us stronger.

“Not only did we cover investments but Ellis Short gave us money to reduce our external bank debts as well. It’s a very powerful picture going forward.”

But Quinn insists the American’s interest is more than just financial.

“He is Sunderland through and through, his family are. His son goes to school every day in a Sunderland shirt, which isn’t an easy thing to do in London. But that’s the difference in our owner,” he said.

“He doesn’t want publicity, he is not doing it to be patted on the back by fans. He is doing it because he is in there now, he is one of us.

“He is hoping there is a very big future here.”

Woodgate undergoes groin opertaion

Tottenham Hotspur and England defender Jonathon Woodgate is to undergo further groin surgery in Australia, in a desperate bid to cure his ongoing groin problem.

The former Leeds, Newcastle, Middlesborough and Real Madrid man has only made 3 appearances this season for the Spurs, in an important season that could inevitably see them enter the Champions League qualification stages.

The 30 year old defender had two operations during the summer, but none of them were very successful as he has not featured in many games this campaign. However if all goes well in Austrailia, Woodgate is expected to be back training in pre-season.

“Jonathon Woodgate has had an operation out in Australia today, so we will keep our fingers crossed.” explained Harry Redknapp.

“It was a groin problem he has had. Eventually he went to America and has ended up in Australia to see a specialist out there and they have operated on him.

“There were a couple of options but they confident they have got the right answer so we will have to wait and see. Will he play again this season? There is no real chance.” said the Tottenham chief.

Further problems

Harry Redknapp has been hit with a load of injuries to vital members of his squad, including Aaron Lennon (groin), Jermaine Jenas (groin), Tom Huddlestone (ankle), David Bentley (groin), Carlo Cudicini (wrist, pelvis) and club captain Ledley King (thigh).

Ledley King was expected to be out for only a few weeks, but he has not responded well to treatment ever since he was forced to come off in Tottenhams 3-0 win over Wigan last month and is due to be out for a further two more weeks, which is a huge setback for Redknapp and his men.

Tottenham face Blackburn Rovers in tomorrows Premier League lunchtime kick off at White Hart Lane, in a must win game for Spurs if the want to strengthen their claim for that all important fourth place and final Champions League spot.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Blackburn Rovers live on Sky Sports from 12.30pm.

Keown: Players should move with times

Martin Keown believes players should learn to handle the media as it will boost their chances of getting into the England squad.

The former Arsenal defender, now a BBC pundit, says today’s footballers should “move with the times” and “get out there more” to enhance their international prospects.

The England international also criticised Sky Sports News for “manufacturing” stories to fill their 24-hour rolling news coverage.

Speaking at a World Cup event at the BBC in Manchester, he said: “If you work with the media then they will look after you.

“I don’t know why, but John Terry has signed up to do a piece for the Sun for the World Cup. Now the Sun are always the first to jump to his defence.

“Wayne Rooney is being talked about as captain material because he has learned to handle the media.

“Players should definitely get out there more and move with the times because there are instances where favouritism within the media has helped some players get into the England team.”

Although he feels the media can be manipulated, Keown warns they are a “powerful animal” capable of creating public animosity towards players.

“If a player doesn’t want to do interviews they become hard work for the media,” he said.

“If they feel they don’t need you, they will twist stories and that’s quite difficult to control.

“Sometimes journalists have to be creative and find the angle other people aren’t thinking of, but Sky Sports News have to manufacture stories and some of them are not true. This kind of media is a problem.”

While Keown advocates players using the media to their advantage, he thinks managers should be concentrating more on coaching their teams.

“It’s different for managers. If a manager says too much he is fined and hauled up in front of the FA.

“Steve Bruce said too much to the media, was fined £2,500 and dragged down to London in front of a committee.

“He should have been in Sunderland with his team who had not won in 14 games and then lost a day’s training. He shouldn’t have been in London.

“We saw Rafa Benitez criticise Sam Allardyce recently but he needs to forget the side issues. I believe that’s what lost them the league last season.

“Managers try to be interesting, but it’s a balancing act.”

Kurt Busch wins in Atlanta

Kurt Busch survived two green-white-chequered’s at the death to guide the number two Penske Dodge to victory lane in Atlanta.

But it was a confrontation between Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards that will steal the attention of this particular race.

Read more

Cabanas released from hospital

Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas has left hospital but doctors cannot say if he will play football again.

Cabanas, who was shot in the head following an argument in a bar in January, will continue his rehabilition under close medical supervision at a clinic in Mexico City.

The Club America forward left intensive care last month but can only walk a few steps at a time and his speech is limited.

In a statement, America said: “After Tuesday’s evaluation, the doctor determined that Cabanas is in condition to leave the hospita to begin the next steps of his recuperation.”

The 29-year-old underwent a seven hour operation immediately after the shooting, but doctors decided it was too risky to remove the bullet from his brain.

Neurosurgeon Dr Ernesto Martinez said: “Salvador has already seen himself in a mirror and didn’t ask any questions, he just stayed there looking without showing any reaction.”

“Having a bullet in his brain would not necessarily impede him from returning to soccer but the neurological recuperation can take one, two or three years. We can’t say precisely.”

Cabanas was a key player in Paraguay’s successful qualification for this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

The main suspect in the shooting, identified by police as Jose Jore Balderas, remains at large.

Real Madrid top “rich list”

Real Madrid have topped the league table of football’s richest clubs for the sixth successive year.

The Spanish giants became also became the first club to break through the €400million (£363m) barrier in a single year, according to Deloitte’s Football Money League.

Real’s arch rivals Barcelona have taken second spot in the list, ahead of Manchester United who fall to third.

Dan Jones, partner in the sports business group at Deloitte, said: “Real Madrid’s 10% increase in revenue to €401m (£342m) came despite a relatively disappointing season domestically and in Europe. Broadcast income provided Real with its largest increase in revenue and at €161m is now greater than the total revenue of all but the top 10 Money League clubs.

“Barcelona’s unprecedented on-pitch success, winning a domestic double and the Champions League, helped drive a revenue increase by €57m, the largest absolute increase of any Money League club, to €366m.”

Manchester United earned a total of €327m, marginally up from €324.8m last year.

The list, based on clubs’ revenue excluding transfer fees, also sees Arsenal overtake Chelsea with the Gunners recording a 7 per cent rise in revenue to £224m compared to their London rivals’ £206m – a 3 per cent fall in revenue.

Jones added: “Chelsea’s revenue has dropped because last season was a bit worse than usual on the pitch, they had frozen season ticket prices and there was not a lot going on in big new commercial developments.

“Arsenal have the advantage in matchday income with a new 60,000-seater stadium and they made the semi-finals of both the Champions League and the FA Cup.

“All the English clubs were impacted by the continuing depreciation of the pound against the euro and the scale of this is shown by the fact that if exchange rates remained at their June 2007 level, United would be top of the money league table.”

The top 20 was again dominated by Europe’s “big five” leagues, with five clubs coming from Germany, four from Italy and two each from France and Spain.

There are seven English sides in the list - Liverpool are seventh, Tottenham are 15th, Manchester City 19th and Newcastle 20th.

The Top 20

1 Real Madrid (Spain)

2 Barcelona (Spain)

3 Manchester United (England)

4 Bayern Munich (Germany)

5 Arsenal (England)

6 Chelsea (England)

7 Liverpool (England)

8 Juventus (Italy)

9 Internazionale (Italy)

10 AC Milan (Italy)

11 Hamburg (Germany)

12 AS Roma (Italy)

13 Lyon (France)

14 Marseille (France)

15 Tottenham Hotspur (England)

16 Schalke (Germany)

17 Werder Bremen (German)

18 Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

19 Manchester City (England)

20 Newcastle United (England)

Bruce: I’m still the right man

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is convinced his side will not be involved in a relegation fight despite extending their winless run to 14 games.

Following Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Fulham at the Stadium of Light, Bruce’s Black Cats have now taken only seven points from 42 available - a run of form that has left them three points clear of the bottom three.

At the final whistle, the 40,192 crows left Bruce and his players in no doubt of their opinion after another abject performance.

Bruce said: “We have got to handle it. The one thing here - which I know after living here - Fulham haven’t got and Wigan and Birmingham and Bolton, there isn’t the huge expectation that you have here. That goes with the territory of playing here and being able to handle it here.

“Let’s be fair, over the years, we haven’t been quite up to it. That’s the challenge and I am convinced we will get there. The concern at the moment is one thing: we have to get out of the run we are in.

“Who knows, the point we got, if we win next week - we keep saying it, if we win next week - it might be the point that takes us a couple of places up the table, who knows?

Pressure

Bruce took responsibility for his side’s awful display, but admitted there were “no excuses” for his players for “not handling the ball well enough” and resorting to “lumping the ball up the pitch”.

He added: “We need something to take the pressure off and we need to handle the huge expectation of a 40,000 crowd.

“We were nervous and edgy. We’re working hard enough but too many people are not playing well.

“If I ever resort to playing [longballs] it’s time for me to call it a day because I want my team to get the ball down and play, and we found that difficult.

“Listen, the buck stops with me. I’ve bought five or six of today’s team and it’s a difficult time but I’m confident I’m still the right man – and that we’ll be okay.”

Sunderland now have three back-to-back home games coming up and Bruce believes the fans can help their team bounce back.

He said: “They are absolutely fantastic and it cannot have been good for them at times as the team are short of confidence.

“I think the supporters recognise the nervousness and edginess of the team and I think they can play their part and help the team.

“If we are honest we have to be playing better than that and play better than we have done today and match the expectations of this football club.

“We have just got to keep together and turn it round.”

Pavlyuchenko inspires Spurs win

Roman Pavlyuchenko netted his fifth goal in three games for Spurs to put them back in 4th place in the Premier League, after they beat Everton 2-1.

This afternoons win for Harry Redknapps men means that they go back above fellow fourth place rivals Manchester City after their shock win at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

Pavlyuchenko’s rich reign of form continued as he opened the scoring in the 11th minute after converting a low cross from strike partner Jermain Defoe. Luka Modric then doubled their lead in the 28th minute with a lovely chip from the edge of the penalty area, after some nice interplay with fellow Croatians Vedran Corluka and Niko Kranjcar.

However in the second half Everton came out a revitalised team and with some well worked play and pressure, got their just reward.

Yakubu got a goal back in the 55th minute and soon after his side should have got another as Landon Donovan failed to finished Jack Rodwells shot come cross, which left David Moyes and the travelling fans with their heads in his hands.

Spurs had to defend desperately at times, as Everton really piled on the pressure towards the end of the game. But the men in white held onto their first half lead in what can only be describe as a valuable win, which sees them strengthen their case for that final Champions League spot.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp had this to say about the game:

“Overall I thought we played well and we were terrific at times in the first half.

“When you play Everton you know they are not going to give up.

“David (Moyes) obviously got into Everton at half time and they raised their game. At 2-1 we got edgy and we were defending for our lives at times.

David Moyes also commented on the game:

“It was a game of two halves. Tottenham were better in the first and we were much better in the second.

“At half time we were dead and buried but I have to give the players credit for making a game of it.

“It (Donovan’s miss) was a crucial moment for us and probably a crucial moment for Tottenham as well.”

Bellamy out of Welsh squad

Craig Bellamy will not appear in Wales’ friendly against Sweden next Wednesday.

Bellamy has been rested by Wales

The Manchester City forward has not been named in manager John Toshack’s 22 man squad.

Ex-Wales striker Iwan Roberts is not sure whether Bellamy will feature ever again in a friendly for his country.

He said: “His history with injury problems means he’ll only play in the competitive games from now on.

“If that means Wales will get the best out of him in the qualifying games, then I think that’s a fair arrangement.”

Roberts played alongside Bellamy at Norwich City.

Fiery striker Bellamy has scored 17 goals in 58 appearances for Wales. He made his debut in a friendly with Jamaica at Ninian Park on 25 March 1998.

Bellamy’s persistent knee troubles mean he is rested.

Some may speculate he has been dropped due to his unpredictable relationship with the manager and believe he could have been ready to play by Wednesday.

Throughout his career Bellamy has fallen out with players and managers alike while playing for some big clubs such as City, Liverpool, Celtic, West Ham to name but a few.

Bellamy is 30 and Toshack feels confident in the squad of young stars that comfortably defeated Scotland 3-0 in November. The boss wants to study the development of a striking partnership between Ched Evans and Simon Church.

Meanwhile, St Mirren midfielder Andy Dorman could earn his first cap. Simon Davies has been recalled to the squad and will make his first international appearance in 11 months.

Sweden, who are ranked 35 places above the Welsh in the official world rankings, have won the last five meetings between the sides. The sides drew 0-0 in the 1958 World Cup finals.

The match in Swansea will be only the second match of coach Erik Hamren’s tenure as national manager. He is combining the job with his role as Rosenborg manager until August when he will become the national team boss full-time.

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