Main Page «
Front Page «
Metro «
Business «
International «
National «
Editorial «
Op-Ed «
Home «
Timeout «
Letters «

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

The National Sports Council on Tuesday decided to allow the Bangladesh Football Federation to use a portion of the Sylhet BKSP for its football academy.
   The decision came in response to the federation’s request that it be handed over the entire half-constructed BKSP facility in Sylhet to launch a full-fledged football academy, first of its kind in the country.
   The BKSP is aimed at creating players of all disciplines and dedicating the Sylhet facility entirely to football will contradict its prime objective, the sports council said in a letter to the federation.
   However, the council wrote, as football remains the most popular sport in the country, a portion of the Sylhet BKSP may be rented to the federation for the game’s development.
   The council agreed to provide the football federation with one classroom for 50 students, one conference room that can accommodate 100 people, two office rooms, two rooms for coaches, 18 rooms in the hostel for 54 people, the second floor of the hostel for use as the dining room, one football ground, two quarters for officials and two quarters for other staff members.
   The NSC letter also says the federation has to pay the rent of the infrastructure and the administration will be shared by the BKSP authorities upon the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two parties.
   The allotment is also subject to approval by the BKSP governing body, it says.
   The federation officials appeared disheartened by the council’s decision, as they had expected that the entire BKSP facility would be handed over to them for the academy.
   The BFF president, Kazi Salahuddin, was realistic nonetheless. ‘I have to go through the details,’ he said. ‘We have to figure out what is available and what is not. At this point in time, I cannot comment on something that I have not quite mastered yet.’
   He did express his frustration, though. ‘We were planning for a full-fledged academy, with the sponsors ready to finance the project,’ he said. ‘I am a little concerned now about the sponsors’ response in the changed reality.’
   The BFF general secretary, Al Musabbir Sadi, believes the door is still open for discussion and
   review. ‘Our requirement was accommodation for 100 students and 50 others, including coaches and staff members,’ he said. ‘Our requirements were not fulfilled; however, we regard it as a positive step and the room of further discussion is still there.’

The committee on the formation of the national selection committee has recommended the present body should remain unchanged until June 30, 2010.
   The recommendation was made after the chief selector, Rafiqul Alam, and members Naimur Rahman and Akram Khan had served out their tenure on August 31.
   The Bangladesh Cricket Board formed the five-member committee to find their replacement.
   After evaluation of the performance of present selectors, the committee decided to recommend extension to their contract for nine more months.
   ‘We do not have any suitable alternatives now. So we have recommended the extension for nine months so that the next committee gets enough time to build a team for the World Cup 2011,’ said committee member Jalal Yunus.
   ‘The selectors, however, must sign the new terms of reference for contract extension,’ said the official.
   According to the new terms of reference, the selectors will be brought under the human resources policy of the cricket board. They need to watch a certain number of domestic matches and get involved in the selection process of junior teams.
   The recommendation for contract extension will be placed for approval at today’s meeting of the board of directors. If approved, the new tenure will be effective on September 1.

When Melanie Oudin wakes up each morning these days, sharing a king-sized hotel bed with her mother, she’s basically your average teen visiting the big city.
   Then the 17-year-old from Marietta, Ga., gets out on court at the US Open in those pink-and-yellow sneakers with the word ‘BELIEVE’ stamped near the heel, and there is nothing ordinary at all about her.
   No higher-ranked or more-accomplished opponent is too intimidating. No deficit is too daunting.
   Yes, the comeback kid did it again Monday.
   Five points from a straight-set loss, Oudin kept plugging away with her perpetual-motion defense and pick-her-spots offense for a 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3 victory over 13th-seeded Nadia Petrova to reach the US Open quarterfinals.
   ‘It’s kind of hard to explain how I’ve done it,’ Oudin said. ‘It’s, like, now I know that I do belong here. This is what I want to do, and I can compete with these girls, no matter who I’m playing. I have a chance against anyone.’
   Can’t argue with that. The upset of Petrova follows comebacks from a set down against three-time major champion Maria Sharapova in the third round, and No 4 Elena Dementieva — a two-time Grand Slam finalist and Beijing Olympics gold medalist — in the second.
   ‘I don’t actually mean to lose the first set,’ explained a smiling Oudin, 17-4 this season in three-setters. ‘I sometimes just start off slowly, I guess. Maybe I’m a little nervous.’
   The first major quarterfinal of her nascent career will come against No 9 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, who added to the stream of upsets in the women’s tournament by knocking off two-time major champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 2-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3).
   Asked about facing Oudin, Wozniacki said: ‘She’s had an amazing run. Hopefully someone from the crowd will cheer for me.’
   Oudin is the story of the tournament so far, already drawing comparisons to Tracy Austin (a US Open champion at 16) and Chris Evert (a semifinalist at 17), and giving US tennis fans hope that there is someone coming up in the women’s game behind the Williams sisters.
   ‘This is going to do a lot,’ Oudin said. ‘I think it’s good for American tennis.’
   Things are different for the US men: None of the 18 who entered the tournament is left, after 55th-ranked John Isner of Tampa, Fla., lost to No 10 Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. It’s the first time in the history of an event that began in 1881 that there will be no American men in the quarterfinals.
   ‘I knew that,’ Isner said. ‘I wanted to keep it going.’
   Verdasco, from Spain, will play fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the quarterfinals, after Djokovic’s 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 rout over 15th-seeded Radek Stepanek late Monday.
   And Switzerland, of course, has its representative in the final eight: No 1 Roger Federer extended his pursuit of a sixth consecutive US Open title by beating No 14 Tommy Robredo 7-5, 6-2, 6-2. Up next is a familiar foe: No 12 Robin Soderling of Sweden, who is 0-11 against Federer, including losses this year in the French Open final and Wimbledon’s fourth round.
   The woman who eliminated No 1 Dinara Safina, Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, couldn’t build on that, losing in three sets to Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, while Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine shut out Gisela Dulko of Argentina 6-0, 6-0.
   Like Oudin and Wozniacki, Wickmayer and Bondarenko are first-time Grand Slam quarterfinalists.
   This is all so new in so many ways for Oudin, whose twin sister Katherine was bawling in the stands at match’s end.
   A year ago, Oudin — it’s pronounced ‘oo-DAN’ — was ranked 221st and lost in the first round at the US Open. She never had won a Grand Slam match until June, when she knocked off former No 1 Jelena Jankovic en route to Wimbledon’s fourth round — after losing the first set, naturally.
   My, how her life is about to change. Starting to change already, actually.
   After beating Petrova, Oudin huddled with her coach, Brian de Villiers, trying to figure out how to squeeze in various media obligations with necessary tasks such as eating something and getting treatment for her heavily wrapped left thigh.
   Endorsement offers are coming in. Now recognized by strangers, Oudin needs security guards to help her navigate the crowds on her way to the Open’s practice courts. Walking through the lobby of her New York hotel is an adventure. There even was a bit of a skirmish among paparazzi when she was in Times Square the other day.
   ‘That was her first realization that she’s big-time, that it is going to be scary sometimes,’ Katherine said. ‘I’m surprised that she’s held it together as well as she has.’
   On the court, the situation seemed bleak when Petrova, already up a set, was serving at 4-3, 40-15 in the second. One more point, and Petrova would be a game from the win. But Petrova netted a forehand for 40-30, and on the next point, Oudin blocked back a 112 mph serve, then ended an 10-stroke exchange by smacking a forehand down the line.
   ‘Unbelievable winner,’ said Petrova, who would never again be that close to victory.
   ‘Winning that game kind of gave her a second breath,’ Petrova said. ‘She realized, ‘OK, I’m back in the game.’ And probably after winning previous matches pretty much in the same way, she thought, ‘You know, I can do it again.’’
   Precisely right.
   Forced to hit extra shots because of the 5-foot-6 Oudin’s ability to track down balls and sling them back, Petrova began to make more and more mistakes. During one key stretch early in the third set, Oudin won 11 of 13 points — and 10 were thanks to miscues by Petrova.
   ‘She’s on a roll. And she has nothing to lose,’ said Petrova, the fourth Russian in a row Oudin has beaten. ‘She goes, enjoys it, crowd is behind her. She’s just having a blast out there.’
   Sure is.
   ‘This,’ Oudin said, ‘is what I’ve wanted forever.’
   Not that forever is all that long in her case. She is, after all, ‘just 17’ — as the lyrics go in the Beatles song reverberating through the Arthur Ashe Stadium sound system after her victories there.
   Melanie and Katherine began hitting tennis balls out of a bucket with their grandmother at age 7, then began working with de Villiers at age 9. At about 12, though, Melanie decided she wanted to be home-schooled, so she could focus squarely on tennis. Katherine, meanwhile, plays in national junior tournaments, but has other interests, and is now a senior in high school.
   As little kids, the sisters would play matches on a makeshift court, piling up jackets in their home’s cul de sac to serve as a net until Mom or Dad said it was too dark to be outside.
   They never pretended, though, that they were at Flushing Meadows or the All England Club. Those places seemed too far away at the time.
   ‘It’s not like we were saying, ‘Oh, we’re going to be there one day,’’ Katherine said. ‘But Melanie’s just always believed in herself. It’s amazing.’

Thilan Samaraweera hit a maiden century under pressure to help Sri Lanka post a competitive 216-7 against New Zealand in a tri-series match here on Tuesday.
   The hosts were struggling at 69-5 after electing to bat on a slow pitch before Samaraweera (104) led the fightback with a vital 127-run stand for the sixth wicket with Angelo Mathews (51).
   Middle-order batsman Samaraweera, 32, smashed 10 fours in his 124-ball knock to become the oldest Sri Lankan to score a maiden one-day hundred, while Mathews hit four boundaries in his second half-century.
   India are the third team in the competition. Each side will play two league matches before the top two qualify for the final on September 14.
   New Zealand paceman Shane Bond marked his return to one-day cricket with an impressive 3-43 performance off 10 overs.
   The fast bowler, who played his last one-day international in April 2007, denied Sri Lanka a sound start with two wickets in his opening five-over spell in the day-night match.
   Bond, who became eligible to play after severing links with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League, struck in his first over when he had former captain Mahela Jayawardene caught by Ross Taylor in the slips.
   Bond then dismissed hard-hitting opener Sanath Jayasuriya (seven) to reduce the hosts to 22-3. He conceded just nine runs in his opening five overs.
   Sri Lanka suffered a setback in the opening over when in-form Tillakaratne Dilshan inside-edged a Daryl Tuffey delivery on to his stumps after contributing just four runs.
   Tuffey, who also snapped links with the ICL, finished with 1-35 off nine overs in his first one-dayer in more than two years.
   Left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori played a key role in drying up runs in middle overs, finishing with 1-31 off eight overs.

Rising star Callum Ferguson believes Australia captain Ricky Ponting has made a ‘fantastic’ decision in deciding to quit Twenty20 internationals if it helps extend his time with the national side.
   ‘He’s come out and said it’s going to help prolong his career for Australia and I think that’s a great thing,’ Ferguson told reporters at the squad’s hotel here on Monday.
   ‘The longer we’ve got him playing at the top level playing in whatever format he chooses, that’s fantastic for us because he’s such a great leader.’
   Ponting, who made his announcement in Sydney on Monday before flying back for the conclusion of an England tour that last month saw Australia lose the Ashes, said: ‘I feel this decision provides me an opportunity to prolong my Test and one-day career, an opportunity I am extremely determined about.’
   During Ponting’s post-Ashes break, Australia have built a 2-0 lead in their seven-match one-day international series against England.
   And South Australia batsman Ferguson has been to the fore in both victories.
   Friday saw the 24-year-old Redbacks right-hander named man-of-the-match for his ODI best 71 not out in Australia’s series opening four-run win at the Oval.
   And two days later, at Lord’s, he was again Australia’s top-scorer, this time with 55, as the world champions won by 39 runs.
   After 16 ODIs, Ferguson boasts an impressive average of 56.
   Although Ferguson has yet to play Test cricket, Ponting said Monday the first time he saw him he believed him to be a ‘Test player in waiting’.
   ‘Obviously, coming from such a fantastic legend of Australian cricket, it’s fantastic of him to say that and very kind,’ Ferguson said ahead of Wednesday’s third ODI at the Rose Bowl.
   ‘I’d love to get there at some stage, but time will tell.’
   What has made middle-order batsman Ferguson’s last two innings all the more creditable is that he has come in with Australia in trouble after losing a cluster of wickets in quick succession.
   ‘It’s been handy having the guys out in the middle that I’ve had,’ Ferguson said. ‘Cameron White is in good form and obviously Michael (Clarke) was there in the first one-day game.
   ‘It always helps when you’ve got guys who’ve got some experience under their belt to converse with while you’re out there.
   ‘With their help, we’ve managed to work our way through the situations reasonably well.’
   Ferguson has been criticised for not making the most of promising starts but at both Lord’s and the Oval he cashed in with some assured strokeplay.
   ‘I think it’s probably a calmness thing,’ he said. ‘I think that’s where the South Australian side made big strides last year.
   ‘We really focused on making sure we stayed calm in the really important situations during the game, the key moments,’ added Ferguson, who during the last Australian domestic season scored 644 Sheffield Shield runs with two hundreds and three fifties.
   ‘Having the senior guys batting around me with the Australian side has also helped me continue to improve in that area and see the innings through rather than blow-out in the 40th over.’
   Like many Australian players before him, Ferguson gained experience of English conditions thanks to a spell in league cricket.
   ‘I played for Netherfield Cricket Club last year in the Northern League,’ Ferguson said. ‘I thoroughly enjoyed that and probably the added responsibility of being a pro aided me a little bit in trying to become a better cricketer.’

Indian batsman Virender Sehwag has said he doesn’t want to lead the team and suggested that a new face be given the vice-captain’s responsibility, so that he can be groomed to take over the reins after captain MS Dhoni.
   ‘I don’t want to be a captain, I have already told selectors about it. I have said that a new player should be made vice-captain and be groomed to be a captain,’ Sehwag told Indian news channel News24. ‘I want that I should continue to score runs and keep winning matches for the team.’
   Sehwag, 30, was appointed vice-captain in October 2005, with Rahul Dravid replacing Sourav Ganguly as captain. A dip in Sehwag’s form in 2006-07 resulted in VVS Laxman assuming the vice-captaincy responsibilities in Tests, albeit for a brief
   period. Sachin Tendulkar was appointed deputy for the 2007 World Cup before the position went to Dhoni soon after.
   And it was only when Dhoni became captain in all three formats, the last being for Tests after Anil Kumble’s retirement in November last year, that Sehwag regained the vice-captaincy. But a shoulder injury for Sehwag in the lead-up to the World Twenty20 in June this year resulted in the deputy’s position going to Yuvraj Singh. However, Sehwag hoped to regain his fitness completely before turning out for the Delhi Daredevils in the Champions League, beginning on October 8.
   Sehwag also considered Ganguly as the best leader he had played under. ‘Sourav Ganguly has been the best captain India ever had,’ Sehwag said. ‘Sourav took over as captain of the India cricket team when it was going through a very bad patch. The Indian team was struggling to put come out of the match-fixing scandal. He had a responsibility to put together a new team and he did a splendid job.’

Sakib al Hasan will not need surgery on his groin injury but will instead undergo physiotherapy in Australia. Sakib, Bangladesh’s stand-in captain, arrived in Australia for treatment at the end of August and was examined by a physiotherapist, Dr Steve Saunders, and surgeon Dr. Peter Malycha in Adelaide.
   His treatment will last five or six weeks, in which time doctors will assess how the injury is responding, a Bangladesh Cricket Board statement said. He will return to Dhaka for Eid and continue the treatment at home.
   The statement quoted him as saying he was confident of being fit for the home series against Zimbabwe in October.
   Sakib is the fifth Bangladesh bowler to sustain an injury in recent months, after Mashrafee bin Murtaza, fast bowler Rubel Hossain, Nazmul Hossain and left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak.

The Congress of South Asian Football Federation will be held on October 3 instead of October 20 at Dhaka.
   Due to official commitments of SAFF president Ganesh Thapa in the later part of the month the Congress has been brought forward.
   The BFF president Kazi Salahuddin is expected to take over as the new SAFF president.

The Danone Nations Cup scheduled to be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil from October 8 to 11 has been postponed due to the pandemic of H1N1 virus.
   Group Danone in coordination with all the participating 39 football federations has taken the decision to postpone the final of the 10th edition of the Cup. The team of Khulna, winners of the Bangladesh Grameen Danone Nations Cup in Dhaka on July 6 2009, supposed to represent Bangladesh in the final.
   This difficult decision, taken after careful consideration, is linked to the developments in the pandemic. A gathering for five days of more than 600 children and many adults from 40 different countries would objectively create a risky situation in any region of the world in which it was organised. However, the organisers pledged to host the finals in 2010.

Graham Onions has replaced Andrew Flintoff in England’s squad for the Champions Trophy one-day tournament in South Africa, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Monday.
   Durham pace bowler Onions, 26, has also been called up into the England party for their ongoing one-day international series against Australia.
   Flintoff, who retired from Test cricket after England’s recent Ashes series success, was initially named in a 15-man Champions Trophy squad but was subsequently ruled out of the tournament due to a knee injury.
   The International Cricket Council has confirmed the Champions Trophy event technical committee has approved the replacement of Flintoff with Onions for the tournament to be staged in South Africa from September 22 to October 5.
   Onions, who has yet to make his limited overs international debut, will join the England squad as they prepare for the third ODI against Australia at Hampshire’s Rose Bowl ground today.
   Australia lead the seven-match series 2-0.
   Onions’s promotion is the latest chapter in a fine season for the bowler, who only made his Test debut in May, against the West Indies at Lord’s, and promptly took five wickets for 38 runs including a dramatic spell of four wickets in seven balls.
   He also featured in three of the five Ashes Tests but was left out as Flintoff returned for last month’s Oval finale where England’s 197-run win gave them the series 2-1.
   Squad: Andrew Strauss (capt), James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Joe Denly, Eoin Morgan, Graham Onions, Matt Prior (wkt), Adil Rashid, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright

Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke has declared himself unavailable to play for New South Wales at the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 tournament in India next month.
   The stylish right-hander cited his heavy playing workload with the national team in opting out of the lucrative two-week tournament starting on October 8.
   NSW will also be without wicketkeeper Brad Haddin who has failed to recover from a finger injury he picked up during the recent Ashes tour. He has also been ruled out of the Champions Trophy tournament in South Africa this month.
   But the Blues still have the likes of Simon Katich, Nathan Bracken, Brett Lee and Stuart Clark to bolster their chances.
   In announcing the 15-man squad, NSW chief executive David Gilbert said he was excited about what they might achieve.
   ‘The NSW squad has an excellent mixture of international experience and talented youngsters and I am very excited about our prospects going into a tournament that will showcase the NSW team on the world stage for the first time,’ he said.
   The team will be captained by Katich.
   New South Wales represent Australia in the tournament of 12 teams along with Victoria, whom they beat in last season’s domestic Twenty20 final.
   New South Wales squad: Simon Katich (capt), Aaron Bird, Doug Bollinger, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Daniel Smith, Nathan Hauritz, Moises Henriques, Phillip Hughes, Brett Lee, Stephen O’Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Steven Smith, Dominic Thornely, David Warner.

Paul Collingwood insisted England faced an uphill battle in convincing their supporters that one-day cricket was important following this season’s Ashes success.
   ‘It seems to me that the public of England are just interested in the Ashes and everything else doesn’t matter too much,’ 33-year-old Collingwood said here on Monday.
   England gave birth to modern professional limited overs cricket back in the 1960s and pioneered Twenty20, the sport’s shortest top-flight format.
   Even so one-day matches have tended to be tolerated as a financial necessity by many within the English game, be they administrators, players, spectators and the media, with priority given to Test cricket, still the ‘real thing’.
   England are currently 2-0 down in their seven match one-day international series against Australia ahead of today’s Rose Bowl day/nighter.
   But, with home fans still rejoicing in the team’s 2-1 Test series win over Australia, wrapped up last month at the Oval, it seems many England supporters couldn’t care less about a series widely regarded as an Ashes afterthought.
   ‘To us, as players, this is an important stepping stone, we want to continue improving our one-day cricket,’ said Collingwood.
   England have never won a major ODI event and made the last of their three losing World Cup final appearances back in 1992.
   Just days after their current series against Australia ends at Collingwood’s Durham home ground in Chester-le-Street, they head to South Africa for the Champions Trophy one-day tournament.
   Collingwood, who has been involved in all of England’s international matches since the start of the tour of the Caribbean in January, said: ‘Let’s be honest, we wanted to peak for the Ashes because we’d been building up to it for a period of time.
   ‘We played well, we won the Ashes, this period now could be a time when you start relaxing again or you have gone over the peak.
   ‘But when you play against Australia, you can’t give them a sniff, it’s as simple as that,’ Collingwood, England’s captain in the Twenty20 game, added.
   And he insisted a taxing schedule, with the one-day games following hot on the heels of the Ashes, could not be blamed for England’s batting collapses in the first two ODIs against Australia.
   ‘Whether you are mentally tired or not, you have to go out and put in the performances. And we haven’t been doing that.’
   Collingwood’s 56 in the 39-run loss at Lord’s on Sunday was his first fifty since England’s second Ashes Test win at the ‘home of cricket’ in July.
   But lulls in form are nothing new for Collingwood.
   ‘Of course I go through periods when I’m feeling tired, mentally more than anything else.
   ‘But you kind of get used to the treadmill of international cricket and I’m not going to make that an excuse for the performances.. I’ve been doing it for eight years now.
   ‘It is relentless but I’m not going to turn round as a player and say too much about the schedule.
   ‘We can’t complain too much - we’re well-paid international cricketers.
   ‘When you are doing something you love, you get on with it for as long as your body can withstand it.
   ‘There are worse jobs in the world. I thoroughly enjoy what I do.’
   Collingwood, looking ahead to Wednesday’s match, said England found themselves facing a familiar plight.
   ‘How many times have we been in this position? We’re always saying we’re good at bouncing back and we tend to be for some strange reason.
   ‘We often manage to pull ourselves out of a bit of a hole.
   ‘Thankfully, it is a seven-match series so there is time to come back. We were always going to have to win four games so that’s still the case.’

Somerset captain Justin Langer said there were no guarantees Marcus Trescothick would play in the Champions League in India next month, despite being named in the English county’s 15-man squad.
   Presuming he does travel, it will be the first time the 33-year-old has returned to the sub-continent since his condition resulted in him leaving England’s tour of India in 2006. But Langer, asked about the likelihood of Trescothick playing in India, told Sky Sports here on Monday: ‘I’m hopeful he will, we have it in place that he will be playing, but only time will tell.
   ‘It’s a big step for him. The last time he tried to get on the plane and he had to come home, it’s well documented in his book that he found it too hard to bear,’ the former Australia Test opener added.

Having caught the eye for the national team after scoring in last weekend’s 2-0 win over South Africa, the transfer poker around Germany’s latest star Mesut Oezil from Werder Bremen has already begun.
   The 20-year-old is contracted to Bremen until June 2011, but his performance and debut goal on his first start for the national team has raised his profile considerably with the midfielder set to face Azerbaijan on Wednesday.
   ‘Mesut’s contract still runs for two years and at present there is no need to extend his contract,’ his advisor Reza Fazeli told German tabloid Bild ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier in Hanover.
   Already Spanish giants Valencia and Premier League club Manchester City have expressed an interest in signing him, but Bremen’s director of sport Klaus Allofs said the Bundesliga side are in no rush.
   ‘We are in no hurry. Nothing has really changed for us,’ said Allofs.
   But Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who steered Bayern Munich to the league and cup double in 2008, says he can imagine Oezil replacing Real Madrid-target Franck Ribery in Munich.
   ‘He could also do very well at Bayern,’ he said.
   ‘He is a great player, who injects some pace into counter-attacks.’ He reminds me of Memut Scholl and is the type of player who fits Bayern’s system.’

England, Serbia, Spain and Slovakia can all book their places at next summer’s World Cup in South Africa when European qualifying continues today.
   England and Serbia have the most straightforward tasks, with both sides needing just a victory to secure top spot in their respective groups and subsequently progress to the finals.
   Fabio Capello’s England take on Croatia at Wembley, while Serbia welcome Raymond Domenech’s under-achieving France to Belgrade.
   European champions Spain, meanwhile, can guarantee their passage only if they beat Estonia in Merida and second-placed Bosnia-Herzegovina fail to win at home to Turkey.
   Slovakia will qualify if they win in Northern Ireland and the match between Slovenia and Poland in Maribor ends in a draw.
   A place in a fourth consecutive World Cup awaits England if they beat Croatia, but revenge is also likely to be a motivating factor for the home side.
   The Croats prevented England from qualifying for Euro 2008 by beating them 3-2 on a sodden November night at Wembley in 2007 and England midfielder Gareth Barry says the players will draw inspiration from that dispiriting defeat.
   ‘There’s a lot of players in that dressing room who won’t forget that night at Wembley and we’re back here again,’ said the Manchester City man.
   ‘There’ll be a few memories but it’s a different manager and a different team and although it will be in the back of our minds, we’ll be confident.’
   England’s failure two years ago set in motion a chain of events that saw Capello replace Steve McClaren at the helm and the Italian has since overseen a run of seven straight competitive wins.
   Croatia, though, arrive desperate for points in their bid to finish ahead of third-placed Ukraine and coach Slaven Bilic has upped the ante by claiming that England have lost vital qualities under Capello.
   ‘They are a very different team,’ said Bilic.
   ‘They have some advantages but they are also missing something from their game. They are missing some Englishness, some of the things that have always made England teams difficult to defend against and play against,’ added Bilic, who spent four years in England playing for West Ham and Everton.
   Croatia’s Balkan neighbours Serbia go into their crunch clash with France in a far healthier position, four points clear of Domenech’s men and with South Africa in sight.
   Radomir Antic’s side will be just three points away from qualifying even if they only manage a draw today, but Antic says they will not be playing it safe.
   ‘We’re not interested in any calculations, we got the result we wanted from the France v Romania match [1-1] and it’s now our turn to prove our worth,’ said the former Atletico Madrid handler.
   ‘We know who we’re up against but we’re improving all the time and we want to make an impact on the world soccer map, not just qualify for the World Cup.’
   France are not the only major nation in danger of missing out on qualification, as Portugal currently trail Group One leaders Denmark by seven points.
   The play-offs already look Portugal’s most likely route to South Africa, but defeat to second-placed Hungary in Budapest today would leave Cristiano Ronaldo and co with only a mathematical chance of finishing second.
   ‘We have to raise our heads and keep believing,’ said Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz. ‘The game is not over and while it lasts, we have to believe.’
   Denmark can move to within three points of qualification if they win in Albania, while Group Two leaders Switzerland will also be within touching distance of the finals if they win in Latvia and Greece fail to beat Moldova.
   Elsewhere, Scotland can secure second place in Group Nine with a draw at home to Bert van Marwijk’s already-qualified Netherlands.
   
   Fixtures
   Wednesday
   (Kick-off times in GMT)
   Group 1:
   (17h30) Malta v Sweden
   (18h30) Albania v Denmark
   (18h45) Hungary v Portugal
   Group 2:
   (18h00) Israel v Luxembourg
   (18h30) Latvia v Switzerland
   (19h30) Moldavia v Greece
   Group 3:
   (15h20) Czech Republic v San Marino
   (18h45) Slovenia v Poland
   (18h45) Northern Ireland v Slovakia
   Group 4:
   (17h30) Liechtenstein v Finland
   (18h45) Wales v Russia
   (18h45) Germany v Azerbaijan
   Group 5:
   (17h00) Armenia v Belgium
   (18h00) Bosnia v Turkey
   (20h00) Spain v Estonia
   Group 6:
   (17h00) Belarus v Ukraine
   (18h00) Andorra v Kazakhstan
   (19h00) England v Croatia
   Group 7:
   (16h15) Faroe Isles v Lithuania
   (18h45) Romania v Austria
   (19h00) Serbia v France
   Group 8:
   (18h50) Italy v Bulgaria
   (19h15) Montenegro v Cyprus
   Group 9:
   (18h30) Norway v Macedonia
   (18h30) Scotland v The Netherlands

1998 World Cup winners France’s increasingly fraught qualifying campaign for next year’s finals deepened on Monday when captain Thierry Henry denied he had criticised coach Raymond Domenech in front of the rest of the squad.
   Squad-mate and fellow 2006 World Cup finalist Florent Malouda also revealed that he had only learnt he was not even among the substitutes for last Saturday’s qualifier with Romania at the Stade de France when he entered the dressingroom and he saw there was no shirt for him.
   Henry’s denial - Le Parisien claimed on Monday that in Friday’s team meeting the Barcelona star had publicly slammed Domenech - and Malouda’s clear displeasure at the manner in which he learnt of his non-selection will do nothing for morale as they head for a crucial qualifier with Group Seven leaders Serbia on Wednesday.
   Henry was forced to clarify what had gone on Friday on the eve of the 1-1 draw which left the French four points adrift of the Serbs with just three matches remaining and in danger of having to go through a play-off to progress to South Africa.
   ‘Nothing happened on Friday evening,’ protested Henry to French TV station TF1.
   ‘There was a discussion between the squad and the coach as is usual.
   ‘It was a constructive discussion... which must stay between the players and the coach.
   ‘I did not question the coach’s qualities. There was never a clash between us,’ added Henry, who was quoted by Le Parisien as telling Domenech that the players had no idea where they were to play and lacked any direction.
   Henry, who scored France’s goal in the Romania match, insisted the camp was a happy one, something clearly not in Malouda’s vocabulary.
   ‘I saw when I entered the dressingroom that there no shirt had been prepared for me,’ the Chelsea star - who has enjoyed distant relations with Domenech having criticised him - told RTL radio station in an interview recorded on Sunday but only broadcast on Monday.
   ‘I deduced from that that I was in either the starting line-up or the substitutes bench, that is how I came to learn of it.
   ‘I was surprised, I thought at the very least I would feature at some stage.
   ‘However, it is important to support ones friends, even from the stands, one has to get over one’s disappointment.
   ‘One is powerless to do anything sitting in the stands, one has fleas in ones pants, but that is how it is, it is the choice of the coach.
   ‘It is a delicate matter to discuss, and is not an agreeable experience to live through, but it is important not to think about it too much, even if it is disappointing.’

Italy find themselves in a peculiar situation heading into today’s World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria here.
   They are the reigning world champions, top of qualifying group eight with a game in hand on their nearest rivals and victory would virtually secure their ticket to South Africa next year.
   And yet the team is being lampooned by the country’s media and the reason for that is simple: they can’t score goals.
   It is four matches now since an Italian player found the net and although they stumbled past Georgia 2-0 on Saturday, it was the Georgian’s captain Kakha Kaladze who scored both of Italy’s goals.
   That followed a three match run without hitting the net and the result is that Italy’s strikers have been put on the defensive.
   The current members of the squad are Fiorentina’s Alberto Gilardino, Juventus’s Vincenzo Iaquinta, Fabio Quagliarella of Napoli and Villarreal’s Giuseppe Rossi.
   But every day those four players wake up to a media crescendo calling for the inclusion of Sampdoria’s Antonio Cassano and Brazilian born Amauri of Juve.
   It can hardly be boosting their already frail confidence in front of goal.
   Italy coach Marcello Lippi continues to resist pressure to call on the enigmatic Cassano while Amauri will not even be eligible to represent Italy until November.
   But while the Italian media puts their case, the question is whether that is simply pulling at strings and missing the point.
   The general consensus is that Italy lack creativity and Cassano is a prodigious talent but successive coaches have overlooked him for one specific reason.
   Regardless of his talent, this is not a player who has ever excelled on the highest stage and he is the architypal mercurial enfant terrible.
   After beginning his career with home town Bari he moved to AS Roma in a big money deal but repeatedly fell out with then-coach Fabio Capello and club captain Francesco Totti.
   A glamour move to Real Madrid followed in January 2006 but Cassano could never establish himself in the Real first team and when Capello joined the club, Cassano had another bust up with his coach and was soon heading back to Italy.
   He joined Sampdoria and although his attitude seems to have improved he still copped a six-game ban for throwing his shirt at a referee.
   While he may bring some creativity to the team, his goal-scoring record does not suggest he will be Italy’s saviour.
   He has played 15 times for his country but scored only three goals while last season with Samp he averaged only a goal every three games.
   Neither statistic suggests he will solve Italy’s problems in front of goal and despite a period of calm in his tumultuous career over the past year, question marks will always hang over his temperament and the wisdom of his inclusion.
   The other option, according to the media is Amauri, notwithstanding his lack of current availability.
   But even he has done little in his career to suggest he is the answer.
   He is 29 now and until last season had never played for a big club, spending most of his career at unfashionable teams such as Palermo, Chievo, Piacenza and Messina.
   But even since joining Juventus at the beginning of the 2008/09 season, he has hardly set Serie A alight with his marksmanship.
   Fourteen goals in 44 matches for a team who finished second in the league and topped their Champions League group is a far from remarkable record.
   It all smacks of a case of desperation among the media where omission from the Italy squad immediately elevates a player’s esteem in the eyes of the press.
   Those who aren’t in the squad are lamented while those within the group are castigated.
   But the reality is not a question of players, according to Gilardino.
   ‘One player isn’t the solution,’ he said.
   The problem is that the team is simply playing badly.
   ‘You don’t have to question the strikers, it’s not their fault, it’s the team’s fault,’ added Gilardino.
   He may be right but in a country where success is expected that won’t be enough to spare the strikers from the media wolves, it just means their detractors will likely widen their net in search of prey.
   The midfield may just be next to feel the wrath of the press.

The Argentinean Football Association has confirmed Carlos Tevez has suffered a twisted right knee which will keep him out of today’s crunch clash with Paraguay.
   Tevez pulled up in his country’s critical 3-1 defeat to Brazil in Buenos Aires, which has put the South American giants in real danger of not qualifying for South Africa 2010.
   Argentina need to win in Asuncion in midweek to avoid their qualification hopes slipping out of their own hands.
   Tevez’s injury is likely to give Manchester City a first test of the strength in depth of a squad expensively assembled over the summer.
   Tevez was not the only casualty of the Argentina-Brazil clash as domestic team-mate Robinho also picked an injury in the game.

Having succumbed to only their second home defeat in World Cup qualifying history against Brazil on Saturday, Argentina face a make-or-break trip to Paraguay today.
   The 3-1 loss to Dunga’s side, who are now assured of a place at the 2010 finals in South Africa, left two-time world champions Argentina in the fourth and last automatic qualifying place in the South American standings.
   Paraguay are five points above them in third and need just three points to qualify for the finals after a qualification campaign that has defied all expectations.
   Argentina, meanwhile, have not won on the road in a competitive match since a 2-0 victory in Venezuela in October 2007 and have scored a meagre three goals in the intervening six away fixtures.
   Should an Argentine defeat be accompanied by away wins for Ecuador, in Bolivia, and Colombia, in Uruguay, Diego Maradona’s men will drop to sixth, below even a qualifying place for the play-off against the fourth-best side from the North, Central America and Caribbean zone.
   ‘I’m feeling composed. There’s no cause for alarm,’ said Maradona, who was part of the Argentina side that came through a play-off against Australia to qualify for the 1994 tournament.
   ‘It won’t be easy to go to Paraguay, but we’ll see what solutions we can find for our problems and try and take the three points.
   ‘We had to beat Brazil and we lost. There’s no time for feeling sorry for yourself, though. You have to keep looking forward.’
   Goalkeeper Mariano Andujar echoed his manager’s upbeat outlook.
   ‘This isn’t over,’ he said. ‘We need to pick ourselves up quickly because we have another final coming up. It’s not over and it’s still in our hands.’
   Paraguay and Chile each require just a win to guarantee qualification, but if Colombia and Ecuador both lose they will qualify regardless.
   ‘We’re there now, I can feel it,’ said Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino after their 1-0 win over Bolivia in Asuncion at the weekend.
   ‘We’ve taken a gigantic step thanks to this really important win.’
   Qualification for Chile would guarantee the presence of at least one Argentine in South Africa next summer, with Marcelo Bielsa hoping for a second crack at World Cup glory after leading his native Argentina to a group-stage exit in 2002.
   The philosophical 54-year-old has revolutionised the Chilean set-up since taking over in 2007 and midfielder Jorge Valdivia believes the team owe all their success to the Rosario-born tactician.
   ‘He is humble and says all the credit should go to the players, but he changed everything: the group discipline, the condition of the training camp, the way the other teams look at us,’ said Valdivia.
   Chile’s meeting with Brazil in Salvador De Bahia is sure to have a celebratory air following the home side’s historic victory over sworn enemies Argentina, but Selecao captain Lucio says they cannot afford to slacken off.
   ‘The most important thing is that we’ve kept on winning, we’re through to the finals and we can take the time now to work on a few things before the World Cup,’ said the Inter Milan centre-back.
   With three matches remaining, only rock-bottom Peru stand no chance of finishing in the top five, although second-bottom Bolivia have an eight-point deficit to make up on fifth-placed Colombia in the play-off berth.
   Today’s matches represent something of a last-chance saloon for seventh-placed Uruguay and eight-placed Venezuela, who host Peru, but victory for either side could put them back into the qualifying mix.

David Beckham has revealed he is considering offers from four top Premier League clubs as he bids to keep his World Cup dream alive.
   Beckham knows he must finish this season playing at the highest level possible if he is to retain his place in the England squad ahead of next year’s World Cup finals.
   That means the LA Galaxy midfielder, who can help Fabio Capello’s team seal their World Cup spot with a victory over Croatia on Wednesday, is already weighing up his options for when the MLS season finishes in November.
   Beckham has been offered the chance to return to AC Milan, where he spent several months on loan last season, but he is also being courted by several top English teams, with Manchester City, Tottenham and Arsenal possibly among them.
   ‘I have my plans. Obviously I have got options,’ Beckham said. ‘Milan have made me aware that they want me to go back there, play there and train there, and I’m more than happy with that. But I have got other options.
   ‘Once I have that time to decide, I will. Three or four clubs (from England) have made offers already.
   ‘I’ve got plans, but my main focus is on this game on Wednesday and then the finish of the MLS season. After that, everybody knows that I’ll becoming back to play somewhere.’
   A cheeky suggestion that Beckham’s old friend Sven Goran Eriksson - the former England coach and now director of football at League Two Notts County - might have contacted him about a move to Meadow Lane was greeted with a wry smile by Beckham.
   ‘Has Sven been in touch? No. I haven’t spoken to Sven for a while,’ he laughed.
   Beckham’s decision to join Milan last term caused a storm in Los Angeles and he has been targeted for abuse from unhappy fans in several matches since he returned to America.
   But he insists Galaxy’s bosses understand his desire to do everything possible to be in Capello’s squad for the finals in South Africa.
   ‘I’ve got a great relationship with the owner, Tim Leiweke and he’s a football man as well,’ Beckham said. ‘They know I have to come back. If it upsets a few people, I can’t do anything about that.
   ‘I keep saying how much I do enjoy playing over there and how committed I am to the Galaxy, but I want to give myself every chance to be involved in the squad.
   ‘I think I’ll be back there after the World Cup. There is a possibility that the contract might break in November, but I’m committed there.’
   All Beckham’s efforts to make it to South Africa could turn out to be an anti-climax if Capello continues to leave the former Real Madrid star on the bench.
   Yet Beckham insists he is happy to play the role of wise old senior pro and help the younger members of Capello’s squad fulfil their potential.
   ‘I’m happy to be in the squad. That’s my position. I’m happy to be involved in this squad with these players,’ Beckham said.
   ‘I’ll always speak highly of the young players we’ve got coming through, whether in my position or not. There’s no reason to speak negatively. They’re all very good players. They’ve got pace that I’ve never had.
   ‘If I can come on with the experience I have and help the team, I will.
   ‘I’m an England fan. If I don’t end up being in a squad that goes to South Africa, that won’t mean I don’t support the lads and want them to win.
   ‘Of course I want to be involved in every squad possible. But, if I’m not selected, it’s because the manager believes he’d have a stronger squad and stronger players without me. I would accept that.’

Serbia coach Radomir Antic has warned his French counterpart Raymond Domenech to be ready for a scorching reception as his side prepare for a match of historic importance tonight.
   The Serbs will be looking to seal a berth in the World Cup finals for the first time as an independent nation.
   A feeling of euphoria has already gripped the city with Antic and his players promising that France will have their work cut out in the heated atmosphere of the 52,000-seater Marakana stadium.
   Antic believes the Serbs are more than a match for 2006 World Cup runners-up France, who need to win to keep their bid for automatic qualification alive.
   France’s hopes suffered another blow in Paris on Saturday night when the 1998 world champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Romania in their Group Seven qualifier.
   And Antic, who travelled to Paris to watch the match, admitted he was not impressed by what he saw from France, who trail the Serbs by four points.
   ‘The French dominated the first half, but that’s a consequence of the tactical choice of the Romanian coach.
   ‘My feeling is that France don’t have an alternative solution in the absence of Franck Ribery (who started on the bench on Saturday). At the back (Julien) Escude seemed quite slow to me.
   ‘My players sent me to Paris to come back with a draw. That’s done. The ball is in our court now.’
   Striker Milan Jovanovic warned that the Serbian ‘Eagles’ would give their last drop of blood to book their ticket to South Africa.
   ‘I’m 27 years old and like some of my team-mates I’ve never competed in a World Cup. That says everything about my motivation,’ the Standard Liege player told AFP.
   ‘We’ll be supported by 52,000 fans. The French are right to be wary of that atmosphere because it will be very, very hot. Our fans can sing for 90 minutes. They know how to pile on the pressure.
   ‘The coach (Domenech) has obviously not yet found the right format. He’s having problems finding the right pieces for the puzzle,’ added Jovanovic, known as the ‘Snake’ for his ability to get through his rivals’ defences.
   Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic called on his team-mates to remain cool.
   ‘I see that the atmosphere in Serbia is euphoric, which is normal for our country, but we have to remain calm and focused,’ he said.
   Embattled Domenech will also be calling for calm, amid reports his players have lost confidence in his leadership.
   On Monday, the daily Parisien reported that stalwart Thierry Henry told the coach on the eve of the Romania tie, in front of the entire team: ‘We don’t know how to play, where to place ourselves, how to organise ourselves. We don’t know what to do. We have no style, no direction, no identity.’
   After receiving a vote of confidence from French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes, Domenech insisted that all was well in the French camp.
   ‘The atmosphere is wonderful,’ Domenech said Monday on the FFF website.
   ‘With what we’re experiencing - the debates, the discussions, what we’re managing to create, the ‘asides’ in the life of a footballer - that creates an exceptional atmosphere.
   ‘What counts is that this transfers onto the pitch: from what I saw on the pitch on Saturday, no-one can doubt that in this group there is one soul and the same desire.’
   His campaign will be boosted by the news that playmaker Ribery (calf) and defender Escude (thigh) are back in training after receiving knocks at the weekend.
   Serbia lead France by four points in Group Seven with just three matches remaining so victory on Wednesday for the hosts would leave coach Domenech and the French scrambling to make the finals in South Africa next year via the play-offs.

England captain John Terry has backed Wayne Rooney to make Croatia’s wind-up merchants eat their words by firing Fabio Capello’s team to the World Cup.
   Rooney has scored eight goals in seven World Cup qualifiers to lead England to the brink of next year’s finals in South Africa.
   A victory on Wednesday would seal the deal for England, but Croatia are still in the hunt for second place and are plotting a repeat of their famous November 2007 win at Wembley.
   Croatia boss Slaven Bilic believes the key to success against Capello’s side is to mark Rooney closely because the Manchester United star plays such a ‘wild’ game he is liable to explode at any moment.
   But Chelsea defender Terry is confident that Rooney is now mature enough to walk away from any confrontations and instead concentrate on doing his damage in front of goal.
   ‘It’s very important we don’t get sucked into anything in individual battles,’ Terry said on Tuesday. ‘We have to got to win our battles but at the same time we have to walk away and be mature about things and don’t get sucked into the things they are trying to suck us into in the papers.
   ‘Wayne is in great form at the moment. He’s scoring a lot of goals as well as giving a lot to the team.
   ‘He becomes more important as each game comes. He is so young but plays with so much experience.
   ‘He is one of those players who is literally a nightmare to play against.’
   Capello has seen few signs of Rooney’s fiery temper on international duty and is confident the striker will keep cool under any provocation.
   ‘Rooney, with me, I remember only once when he did a bad tackle. Only once,’ Capello said.
   Terry has often delivered passionate speeches to his team-mates in the final moments before England and Chelsea matches, but he revealed there will be no special words in the dressing room on Wednesday.
   ‘The manager does his thing before the game and all the lads will say their piece. There will be no big speech from me. Everyone knows what we have to do,’ Terry added.
   Terry was sidelined through injury when Croatia won 3-2 at Wembley two years ago, but he watched the match from the stands and the painful memory still lingers.
   He admits revenge is at the back of the team’s minds, even though Capello has tried to ensure his players are solely focused on how to win the match.
   ‘It’s very important for me personally and collectively. The disappointment of missing the Euros is still hurting in the back of my mind and in the back of everyone’s mind,’ Terry said.
   ‘It is still in the back of each player’s mind a bit. But it is a new era now and a new start for everyone since the new manager has come in.
   ‘It is important the manager draws attention away from it, but difficult for players to collectively rule it out of our minds.
   ‘It is a chance to correct things from the bad campaign we had last time.
   ‘It would be nice for our fans and ourselves to finish the job at Wembley where we threw it way before. It would wipe it all away.’
   The prospect of qualifying with two games still to play is another incentive for England as it would allow Capello extra time to experiment ahead of the World Cup.
   ‘If we can put ourselves there early with a lot of preparation, we could have a good chance in the World Cup. But first and foremost we have to win on Wednesday,’ Terry said.
   ‘Ideally to finish the group early would give the manager a chance to try new things.’

Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke is out of tonight’s World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan with a mysterious virus while coach Joachim Low looks set to continue his youthful experiment.
   First-choice goalie Enke has been hit by an infection and Bayer Leverkusen’s Rene Adler looks set to continue between the posts in Hanover after a strong performance in last Saturday’s 2-0 friendly win over South Africa.
   ‘I am really disappointed, but I do not have the feeling that I am fully fit,’ Enke, 32, told German tabloid Bild on Tuesday.
   ‘With this risk hanging over me, I can’t go into a World Cup qualification game. I hope we will soon know what I have.’
   And Low admits Enke’s misfortune is Adler’s opportunity to shine.
   ‘This situation has showed how quickly things can change,’ said Low.
   ‘Who can say what will happen in eight or nine months time?
   ‘We have decided on the goalkeepers until the end of the year, but now we have another chance to look at Rene Adler and monitor the health of Robert Enke.’
   As the experiment of playing a 4-3-3 formation worked well against South Africa, wingers Marko Marin and Mesut Oezil, who both impressed against next year’s World Cup hosts, look set to be given another chance to shine.
   Germany need a win over minnows Azerbaijan to maintain their place at the top of Group Four where Low’s side lead Russia by a point with the group rivals set to clash in Moscow on October 10.
   Bertie Vogts-coached Azerbaijan are not expected to present much of a challenge as they are joint bottom of the group alongside fellow minnows Liechtenstein with just a single point from their seven matches.
   Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez is expected to be fit after pulling up in training on Sunday having scored the opening goal in Saturday’s victory.
   The 24-year-old has had a scan which revealed no serious damage, but it looks like his team-mate Miroslav Klose will be left on the bench again against Azerbaijan.
   Klose’s pedigree of 45 goals in 90 games speaks for itself, but Low used Gomez as the lone striker against South Africa with possession supplied by Marin and Oezil and the experiment is likely to be repeated.
   With bigger tests ahead for the national team, Low looks to be resting the 31-year-old Klose, who was the top scorer at the last World Cup.
   ‘We know, what he can do and he has always performed for the national team,’ said Low.
   And Germany captain Michael Ballack brushed off any concerns about Klose.
   ‘The discussions around Miro are redundant. Everyone knows what he can do.
   ‘And the national team can always rely on him.’
   Having battered the Bafana Bafana on Saturday, Low sees no reason to change the 4-3-3 system and two key members of his squad will be reaching landmarks.
   Despite his early years Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger will be winning his 70th cap, despite being just 25, while defender Philipp Lahm, also 25, will reach the 60th milestone.

Fabio Capello has consigned England’s Euro 2008 humiliation at the hands of Croatia to the dustbin of history, insisting it will have no bearing today’s World Cup qualifier at Wembley.
   Croatia’s last visit to the home of English football, in November 2007, ended with a 3-2 win for the visitors, who duly progressed to Euro 2008 while England missed out.
   But Capello, who took charge in the wake of that failure, revealed that he had not even watched a recording of that match.
   ‘I studied Croatia’s game against Belarus on Saturday, I’ve not watched the game of two years ago, it is too old,’ the Italian said. ‘I study always the latest games that we played, not what happened two years ago. It is history.’
   Capello also voiced confidence that memories of that fateful night, which brought down the curtain on Steve McClaren’s reign as England manager, would not affect a group of players that is largely unchanged since he took over.
   ‘I think they forgot about this game after we won 4-1 in Croatia (at the start of the World Cup qualifying campaign),’ the England coach added.
   That stunning win in Zagreb set the tone for a campaign which has seen England record seven consecutive victories so far and a second win over Slaven Bilic’s side would clinch top spot in Group Six and a place in next year’s finals in South Africa.
   Croatia were unimpressive in a 1-0 win over Belarus on Saturday and will miss the influence of injured Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric.
   But Capello is still expecting a serious test.
   ‘They play very well on the counter attack and they are a compact team,’ he said. ‘I think it could be a tough game.’
   As ever, Capello was guarded on his line-up but he is expected to opt for Emile Heskey as a forward partner for Wayne Rooney, despite Jermain Defoe’s prolific recent form.
   His other selection dilemma concerns whether to start Aaron Lennon or Shaun Wright-Phillips on the right flank, the position from which Theo Walcott, who is currently injured, plundered a hat-trick in the win in Zagreb.
   A defensively shaky performance by Glen Johnson in Saturday’s 2-1 friendly win over Slovenia has triggered criticism of his credentials as an international defender, but Capello was happy to endorse the Liverpool right-back as ‘one of the best in the world’ in his position, suggesting there will be no return to the starting line-up for Wes Brown.
   With a place at the World Cup within touching distance, it is unlikely that England’s players will need much motivating on Wednesday.
   But if Capello was short of ideas for his pre-match team-talk, the Italian believes Bilic has done his job for him already with a series of cutting comments about England’s squad over the past five days.

The 2010 World Cup will suffer if Argentina, France and Portugal fail to qualify, Liverpool’s Spanish international striker Fernando Torres said on Monday.
   ‘A World Cup without Argentina, France or Portugal would not be the same. I would like them all to take part,’ the 25-year-old told a news conference two days after Spain beat Belgium 5-0 in a qualifier in La Coruna.
   ‘We also struggled to qualify for the 2008 Euro finals and then we won the tournament,’ he added.
   ‘National squads change from one day to the other depending on the status of their players. They can go through a bad moment now and in the summer be one of the favourites.’
   Spain have a flawless seven wins at the top of Group 5, six points ahead of second-placed Bosnia Herzegovina, who won 2-0 at Armenia.

Robinho has done little to quell reports that he could join Barcelona in January by admitting it is ‘not easy’ to turn down Pep Guardiola’s Treble winners.
   The Brazilian was Manchester City’s star acquisition last summer when joining the club from Real Madrid in a British record £32m deal, but recent reports have indicated that Robinho could well return to Spain to join Madrid’s great rivals, Barca.
   Despite signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Inter Milan, the Spanish champions are believed to be searching for another forward and Robinho would be a natural replacement for the ageing Thierry Henry in Barca’s talented squad.
   The 25-year-old boasts 14 goals in 33 league games under Mark Hughes but has left his suitors in no doubt that he would welcome the opportunity to move to Camp Nou.
   ‘It’s not easy to say no to a club like Barcelona,’ Robinho is quoted in the Guardian. ‘They are European champions, they’re in a lovely city and I like Spain a lot.
   ‘I have always wanted to play at clubs like Barcelona. It’s a great club, any player would be happy for them to show an interest. I’m happy that Barcelona have taken notice of me.
   ‘Who wouldn’t like to play alongside Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta, [Lionel] Messi, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic and all the rest? I like Barcelona; they’re a great club.’
   Robinho is a doubt for City’s game against Arsenal at the weekend after sustaining a thigh injury as Brazil clinched World Cup qualification with a 3-1 victory at arch rivals Argentina on Saturday night.

The players of Real Madrid, the most expensive team in history, are about to receive eight ‘commandments’ from club president Florentino Perez. According to sports daily Marca - which has good sources within the club - on Tuesday, Perez has asked director general Jorge Valado to prepare a booklet for the players containing the following eight ‘commandments’:
   1 Be close to and accessible for the club’s fans, 2 Respect the coach (Manuel Pellgrini) and the directors, 3 Make a strong effort, show a dedication and sacrifice, 4 Always be on time, 5 Avoid health risks, 6 Don’t go out at night, 7 Look smart, take care of your appearance, 8 Collaborate with the club and the media.
   Most Spanish clubs have such a ‘internal rulebook’ which the players have to sign, and which is sometimes used against them in disciplinary cases.
   Valdano drew up a similar rulebook when he was Real’s sporting director from 2000 to 2004, during Perez’ first spell as president.
   In other Real news, right-back Sergio Ramos is finally fit again after being out of action for three months with tendinitis in his left Achilles tendon.
   Ramos, 23, missed Spain’s 5-0 thrashing of Belgium on Saturday because of the injury, and has not participated in pre-season training.
   He will probably be in the Real squad for Saturday’s game away to Espanyol, although Alvaro Arbeloa - who has also stood in for Ramos for Spain - will probably continue at right-back for the time being.