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No surgery for Dempsey eases US World Cup fears

Fulham striker Clint Dempsey will not require surgery to repair his injured right knee, the English Premier League side announced Tuesday, easing US fears that he might be lost for the World Cup.

Dempsey, who plays forward as well as attacking midfielder, suffered moderate ligament damage but an MRI scan indicated there was not a torn ligament and that he might play for Fulham before the end of the season.

That means he should be healthy when the Americans face England on June 12 in their World Cup opener in South Africa.

“The news about Clint’s injury is positive, especially given the fact that he will not require surgery,” US coach Bob Bradley said. “We are confident that Clint will be ready to be an important part of our team during the World Cup.”

Dempsey, 26, was injured during a 2-0 Fulham loss Sunday at Blackburn. US team medical staff have spoken daily with Fulham officials since then and will monitor Dempsey’s progress in the months of rehabilitation to come.

Dempsey has 17 goals in 60 caps for the Americans and seven goals for Fulham this season.

The US side is already dealing with injuries to star defender Oguchi Onyewu, who is rehabilitating after knee surgery, and forward Charlie Davies, who suffered two broken right leg bones and a lacerated bladder in a car crash.

CHICAGO (AFP)

Tags: blackburn, bladder, bob bradley, caps, car crash, Charlie, Chicago, Clint, Clint Dempsey, coach bob, England, English Premier League, face england, fulham, knee surgery, leg bones, ligament damage, medical staff, midfielder, mri scan, premier league, South Africa, striker, torn ligament, U.S., world cup opener

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Van Persie targets April return

Robin van Persie is expected to return for Arsenal in April. The Holland international sustained an ankle injury during an international friendly against Italy on November.

Van Persie is doing as well as can be expected in his recovery from surgery on ligament damage.

Last month, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger predicted that the Dutch striker would be out for “virtually the rest of the season”. That is still the case even though the 26-year-old is making steady progress in his rehabilitation.

“He has come back (to the training ground) and is doing as well as you can at that stage,” said Wenger on the club’s official website.

“He is out of his boot and walks normally but he thinks he will be playing mid-April.”

Tags: ankle injury, arsenal, Arsene, Holland, holland international, Italy, ligament, ligament damage, robin van persie, steady progress, striker, Van Persie, website

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Real to stay out of transfer market: reports

Real Madrid has no plans to replace injured Brazilian defender Pepe, or any others players, during the mid-season transfer window, Spanish media said Friday.

The club’s management told coach Manuel Pellegrini that he could not expect any new signings this month, the Marca sports newspaper said.

Real has notably rebuffed interest from Jonathan Cicero Moreira of Brazilian side Cruzeiro, who is keen to move to the Spanish capital.

The club will not let others leave either this winter, such as Argentine Gago, who has sparked interest from Boca Junior and Juventus.

Spanish media recently noted that Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who has been largely sidelined this season, had received the green light to leave this winter, perhaps to Liverpool.

Under chairman Florentino Perez, who took over last summer, Real has spent 250 million euros on star signings, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso.

Pepe, a regular in Real’s starting line-up since he joined the club from Porto in 2007, underwent surgery last month to repair ligament damage on his right knee and he is expected to be out for six months.

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: Alonso, Argentine, boca junior, brazilian side, cruzeiro, florentino perez, gago, Jonathan Cicero Moreira, juventus, Karim Benzema, ligament damage, Liverpool, MADRID, manuel pellegrini, mid season, new signings, pepe, PORTO, real madrid, ronaldo, ruud van nistelrooy, spanish capital, spanish media, starting line, Van Nistelrooy, xabi alonso

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Wenger slams Ridgewell over Walcott injury

Arsene Wenger has slammed Birmingham defender Liam Ridgewell for the tackle which left Arsenal winger Theo Walcott nursing a potentially serious knee injury.

Walcott was forced off before half-time in the Gunners’ 3-1 win over City at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday following a hefty tackle from Ridgewell.

The England international was left in a crumpled heap after the defender crashed into him, winning the ball but also crunching into the back of his legs.

Walcott played on for another 20 minutes before being withdrawn and will undergo a scan on Sunday to determine the extent of the injury.

Wenger has ruled out the possibility of cruciate ligament damage but fears Walcott might have twisted his medial ligaments, which would rule him out of Tuesday’s Champions League game with AZ Alkmaar and could leave him facing several weeks on the sidelines.

“He has a bruised knee and it’s swollen,” Wenger said. “It’s difficult to assess and know whether it is a twisted medial ligament or just a kick. He said he was unstable when he was running which is not good news.

“We will assess on Sunday morning when he will have a scan – if it’s just a kick then he should he available for Tuesday, if it’s a twist then he won’t be. I believe, personally, he will not be available for Tuesday, at least.

“It was a cut-through tackle, without any restriction. It was meant to impress. It looked quick and hard from outside – I don’t know if he didn’t want to play the ball.”

The incident was a grim echo of the last occasion these sides met, when Arsenal striker Eduardo suffered a compound fracture of his leg following a tackle by Martin Taylor.

That said, the implications for Walcott should not be nearly as severe as they were for the Croatia striker, and Birmingham manager Alex McLeish was justified in pointing out that the referee, Lee Probert, did not even see fit to award a free-kick for Ridgewell’s tackle.

Arsenal’s sensitivities were doubtless heightened by the memory of what happened after that infamous meeting with Birmingham in 2008, when their title challenge imploded.

But Wenger was understandably heartened by his side stretching their winning streak to seven games in all competitions.

The north Londoners were in control from the 16th minute, Robin van Persie collecting Alex Song’s pass and whipping a shot into the far corner, and when Abou Diaby doubled the advantage moments later, Birmingham appeared set for a long day.

But they were handed an unexpected lifeline when Vito Mannone, the young Italian goalkeeper, inexplicably flapped at a high ball and Lee Bowyer volleyed in.

Wenger was unimpressed with both that error, hinting afterwards that Manuel Almunia could win back his starting place against Alkmaar.

The killer blow was finally applied in the 84th minute, when Andrey Arshavin curled in a low shot following a swift counter-attack.

“We were cruising and in control at two goals,” he said. “We were wondering who would score the third but we started making mistakes. We didn’t have the same fluency, control or pace in the second half.”

McLeish issued a warning to his own side after this latest defeat, suggesting that they could be running out of chances to impress before the opening of the winter transfer window.

“We need to find that cutting edge and we are looking for our match winners to play consistently well,” said the Scot, who is expected to be handed 40 million pounds to spend by City’s new owner Carson Yeung.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: alex mcleish, Alex Song, alkmaar, Birmingham, bruised knee, carson yeung, CITY, compound fracture, croatia, Eduardo, Emirates Stadium, England, england international, free kick, gunners, knee injury, league game, Lee Bowyer, Lee Probert, Liam Ridgewell, ligament damage, london, Manuel Almunia, martin taylor, medial ligament, medial ligaments, north Londoners, probert, ridgewell, robin van persie, Scot, sidelines, theo walcott, Vito Mannone, Wenger, winger

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Abidal: Barca are well prepared

Barcelona defender Eric Abidal is hoping the club’s blinding form in the Primera Division will stand them in good stead for their Champions League clash with Dynamo Kiev.

Five wins out of five in the domestic competition have taken Pep Guardiola’s men second in the standings, behind only big-spending Real Madrid who have matched them blow for blow.

A 2-0 victory over Malaga at the weekend gave Barca further cause for celebration and the Spaniards, who began the defence of their European title with a draw against Inter Milan two weeks ago, are keen to carry that success into the Champions League.

“It is always better to win before a Champions League game to give you confidence,” Abidal told the club’s official website.

Dynamo are also a side in form though, and Abidal is aware they could prove tricky customers at the Nou Camp.

“Dynamo won their opening match and we drew,” the French left-back said.

“We know that all Champions League games are hard to win but we are preparing well for this one.”

The victory over Malaga came at a cost for Guardiola, who has lost two players to injury.

Ukrainian defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy, a summer signing from Dynamo’s rivals Shakhtar Donetsk, has been ruled of action for around three weeks after suffering ligament damage in his left knee on Saturday.

Striker Thierry Henry also picked up a thigh injury during the Malaga clash, and is a serious doubt for their European encounter.

Like Barca, Dynamo are unbeaten on the domestic front this season and a 2-0 victory over Zorya at the weekend marked their fifth successive win in the Superliga.

The Kiev side also hold the early advantage in Champions League Group F thanks to a 3-1 success at home to Rubin Kazan.

Striker Andriy Shevchenko is hoping his team-mates can cope under the spotlight at the Nou Camp.

“Barcelona were the best team last season, led by the best coach and with the best players in the world,” the former AC Milan star told the club’s website.

“The players have to show attitude, dedication. Speaking from experience, I know we need to give our all against this kind of team.

“We must believe in ourselves and in a positive outcome.”

Brazilian defender Leandro Almeida expects to have his hands full facing Lionel Messi during the match.

“The whole team in general are talented, but if anyone stands apart it is Lionel Messi,” he said.

“We have to be careful and alert so his speed and technique do not take us by surprise.

“Everyone knows the power of Barcelona, but if we can show what we are capable of then this match could end quite well for us.”

Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: ac milan, andriy shevchenko, Barcelona, champions league group, domestic competition, dynamo kiev, early advantage, eric abidal, french left, inter milan, Kiev, league game, ligament damage, lionel messi, MADRID, Malaga, Milan, nou camp barcelona, pep guardiola, real madrid, rubin kazan, spotlight, team mates, thierry henry, thigh injury, Zorya

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Double-up Arshavin leads Arsenal to victory

Russian international Andrey Arshavin came off the bench to score twice as Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the Emirates Cup on Saturday.

All three goals came in the last five minutes.

Cesc Fabregas lofted the ball over to the back post from the right, where Arshavin arrived to volley past Sergio Asenjo.

However, German Pacheco then beat the offside trap to slot in an equaliser with just two minutes left.

In one final twist, Arshavin latched onto a poor backward clearing header from Tomas Ujfalusi to slot the ball in from the tightest of angles.

Arsenal welcomed back Czech winger Tomas Rosicky, who had been out of action for some 18 months with a string of niggling injuries, and his return was a welcome boost for manager Arsene Wenger following the loss of Samir Nasri to a broken leg.

The Spanish side, who started with former Gunner Jose Antonio Reyes in attack and were captained by ex-Manchester United forward Diego Forlan, could yet face Wenger’s men again in competitive action next month in the Champions League play-off.

Earlier, Rangers defeated Paris St Germain 1-0 thanks to a 75th-minute goal from defender Madjid Bougherra.

“I am pleased we did not concede a goal and I am happy with the performance,” said Rangers boss Walter Smith.

“Our goalkeeper (Neil Alexander) did not have a great deal to do but you could also put that down to Paris St Germain not having the sharpness in front of goal.

“The game on Sunday (against Arsenal) will be an interesting one to see how we stand up to that test.”

Smith was boosted by the return of Kevin Thomson who is stepping up his rehabilitation from a cruciate knee injury.

The midfielder suffered ligament damage last November and was not expected to return before this September.

The 24-year-old came on as a second-half substitute and Smith hopes Thomson he will be ready for a full 90 minutes before the end of this month.

“Kevin is back,” said Smith. “But we have to take a little bit of care with him.

“It is part of his rehabilitation that we only want him to do a specific amount of minutes in games.

“But he is on target and hopefully we will have him available for a full 90 minutes before the end of August.”

Paris St Germain coach Antoine Kombouare was disappointed with his team’s lacklustre showing.

“I am not happy because I don’t like to lose,” said Kombouare.

“The team was not really passionate and didn’t show any aggression. They worked hard and we were good in our organisation. But we could not score any goals.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: andrey arshavin, Antoine Kombouare, asenjo, Diego, diego forlan, emirates, final twist, Germain, germain 1, Gunner Jose Antonio Reyes, jose antonio reyes, Kevin, kevin thomson, ligament damage, london, madjid bougherra, MADRID, madrid 2, manager arsene wenger, nasri, neil alexander, niggling injuries, offside trap, PARIS, paris st germain, russian international, Samir Nasri, spanish side, tomas rosicky, tomas ujfalusi, walter smith

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Vieira facing thumb surgery

Inter Milan’s French veteran midfielder Patrick Vieira faces surgery on his left thumb after injuring it in Wednesday’s friendly against Chelsea at Pasadena, California, his club said Thursday.

Citing a prognosis of ligament damage the club said the extent of the injury was still being assessed and the possible need for an operation would be determined “in the coming days.”

MILAN (AFP)

Tags: alt, California, CHELSEA, Club, extent, inter milan, ligament damage, midfielder, Milan, pasadena california, patrick vieira, prognosis, target, thumb surgery, veteran

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Chelsea´s Terry on US tour, but Cole ruled out

Captain John Terry has joined Chelsea for their pre-season tour of the USA, but midfielder Joe Cole has been ruled out following knee surgery, the Premier League club confirmed on Thursday.

There has been much speculation about Terry’s future after Manchester City revealed they had made an offer for the defender, but Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon insisted on Wednesday that the player is not for sale.

And, despite reports that City are still pursuing the player, Chelsea have now confirmed that Terry will join up with the rest of the squad for the four-match pre-season tour.

Meanwhile, Cole required the operation to correct a small tear to his meniscus in his knee and is expected back in full training in one month.

The midfielder had recently recovered from cruciate ligament damage sustained in January, which ruled him out of the rest of the 2008-09 season.

Chelsea travel to the US on Thursday and will play the opening match of their tour against Seattle Sounders on Saturday.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: captain john, captain John Terry, CHELSEA, chief executive, English Premier League, Joe Cole, john terry, knee surgery, ligament damage, london, manchester city, match, meniscus, midfielder, MLS, peter kenyon, premier league, Seattle, seattle sounders, speculation

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Chelsea´s Cole out of US tour

England midfielder Joe Cole will not take part in Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the United States after undergoing minor surgery, the Premier League club confirmed on Thursday.

Cole required the operation to correct a small tear to his meniscus in his knee and is expected back in full training in one month.

The midfielder had recently recovered from cruciate ligament damage sustained in January, which ruled him out of the rest of the 2008-09 season.

Chelsea travel to the US on Thursday and will play the opening match of their tour against Seattle Sounders on Saturday.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: CHELSEA, England, English Premier League, Joe Cole, ligament damage, london, match, meniscus, midfielder, minor surgery, MLS, premier league, Seattle, seattle sounders, U.S., United States

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Klose out for six to eight weeks, say Bayern

MUNICH, Germany (AFP) – Germany striker Miroslav Klose will be sidelined for "six to eight weeks" following an operation on his injured right ankle, his club Bayern Munich said on Monday.

After sustaining ligament damage at the weekend, Klose went under the knife in Switzerland. As he does not need to wear a plaster-cast, he can begin rehab immediately, said the German champions.

The German championship does not finish until May 23 but Klose will miss the lion’s share of the race for the Bundesliga title, as well as Bayern’s quarter-final clashes in the Champions League.

It means Bayern have lost another top player following injuries to Luca Toni (Achilles tendon) and French midfielder Franck Ribery (tibia). Lukas Podolski, who is soon set to rejoin FC Cologne, is currently Bayern’s only available striker.

Klose should also be sidelined for Germany’s World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein on March 28 and Wales on April 1.

That could prove problematic for Germany as Klose, with 44 goals in 88 matches, is Germany’s top goalscorer still in activity.

Written by: AFP

Tags: achilles tendon, april 1, Bayern, bayern munich, Bundesliga, champions league, cologne, fc cologne, franck ribery, german champions, german championship, Germany, Liechtenstein, ligament damage, Lukas Podolski, midfielder, miroslav klose, Munich, munich germany, plaster, striker, Switzerland, tibia, Toni, UEFA Champions League, Wales, world cup qualifiers

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