TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Liverpool and Rafael Benítez at crossroads as Aston Villa loom large Liverpool's season could be defined by clash against Aston Villa on Tuesday. telegraph.co.uk |
Milton Keynes Dons 1 Burnley 2: match report Owen Coyle was preoccupied with negotiating a passage into the fourth round in a thrilling FA Cup tie. telegraph.co.uk |
Jimmy Calderwood named new Kilmarnock manager Jimmy Calderwood has been unveiled as the new manager of Kilmarnock, replacing Jim Jefferies. telegraph.co.uk |
Michael Essien may be out for a month • Chelsea midfielder injured knee in training• Player misses Ghana's must-win Cup of Nations tieMichael Essien could be sidelined for over a month after damaging knee ligaments on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations.According to reports, the Chelsea midfielder has suffered a partially torn medial ligament in his left knee as well as damage to the meniscus and will miss the rest of the tournament.Essien, who was not fit enough to start his side's first match, the 3-1 defeat by Ivory Coast, after a hamstring strain but played 45 minutes as a substitute, hurt his knee during training on Sunday and was forced to leave the session on crutches as he was taken to hospital."He will not be able to play in the tournament anymore," Randy Abbey, Ghana's spokesman, said. "We still don't know the exact extent of the injury."The results of tests undertaken yesterday are officially expected this evening, although the BBC claims the Ghana doctor believes Essien will be out for at least a month and perhaps longer. Chelsea have yet to comment on the details of the injury but have confirmed that the player will return to London this week.Essien, however, has said that it is not a recurrence of the cruciate ligament damage he suffered in September 2008 that put him on the sidelines for six months.The Black Stars must beat Burkina Faso in Luanda to go through.Essien had only returned to training with Chelsea two weeks ago after tearing his hamstring during the club's final Champions League group match against Apoel Nicosia at Stamford Bridge on 8 December.GhanaAfrica Cup of Nationsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Fowler refuses to start on bench for North Queensland • Fowler watches from stands after dispute with manager• Striker could leave as wife has failed to settle in AustraliaThe former Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler sat and watched his North Queensland Fury team-mates from the stands rather than take his place on the bench for their A-League match against Brisbane Roar on Saturday.Fowler refused to start as a substitute for the home match against Brisbane in Townsville and was subsequently left off the team sheet by the Fury coach, Ian Ferguson. Brisbane and North Queensland subsequently played out a 1-1 draw.Ferguson later denied that Fowler had made his final outing for the club. "No, not at all," he said. "There's a couple of issues we have to sort out. Robbie's a great player, he's an experienced player, he's a player that we want to keep at the club."At the end of the day I felt it was obviously a decision I had to make, I wanted Robbie to go on the bench and he refused to go on the bench. We'll go over it on Monday, we'll have a serious talk and see what it takes."Fowler has scored nine goals this season for the ninth-place Fury but reports have suggested the 34-year-old is seeking to leave despite still having a year to run on his contract. Fowler, who is the Fury's captain, has admitted that his wife has failed to settle in North Queensland.Fowler told the Daily Mail this week that his wife is finding it tough adjusting in Townsville, the northern Australian city where the Fury are based."The kids are very adaptable to where they are, but my wife still needs a bit of convincing," he said. "It's not like back at home where there's more stuff to do and more families that we know, so she's still adjusting."Fowler, who scored 161 goals in the Premier League, became one of the A-League's biggest recent recruits when he joined the Fury in February of last year.guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |