| Alex to miss three weeks with thigh injury • Brazilian defender pulls out of squad for next week's friendlies• John Terry struggling to make England squad for Montenegro gameChelsea will have to make do without Alex for three weeks after the in-form central defender received unfavourable news from the scan on the thigh muscle he hurt in Sunday's 2-0 win over Arsenal.Ray Wilkins, the assistant manager, had joked that Alex might have sustained the problem when striking the 25-yard free-kick which secured the victory. Wilkins described the injury as a "little nick" and his tone suggested that it was not too serious.But the scan that Alex underwent on Monday revealed damage that is severe enough to ruin the rest of his month. He has been withdrawn from the Brazil squad that will play friendlies against Iran in Abu Dhabi on Thursday and Ukraine at Pride Park next Monday and he stands to miss at least three matches for Chelsea – away to Aston Villa and at home to Wolves, either side of the Champions League trip to Spartak Moscow.Carlo Ancelotti says that the right-back Jose Bosingwa is close to a return after virtually a year out with knee trouble. The Chelsea manager is more likely, though, to bring in Paulo Ferreira at right-back and use Branislav Ivanovic in the centre of defence in Alex's absence. The other option at centre-half is the 18-year-old Jeffrey Bruma.John Terry, meanwhile, says he is still struggling with a rib injury ahead of England's game against Montenegro.Terry missed England's first two matches in Group G, against Bulgaria and Switzerland last month, with a hamstring problem, then bruised ribs during Chelsea's win over West Ham last month. "I take elbows in the ribs in a lot of games but it is one of them where I have a bit of bruising and the masseurs can't get into it because it is too sore," Terry said. "I had an X-ray and a scan and thankfully it came back all-clear. It is a case of getting on with it, but sneezing and coughing is really painful."ChelseaDavid Hytnerguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Newcastle's Andy Carroll backed to shine for England despite recent snub Kevin Nolan confident Andy Carroll will become a full England international despite senior and U21 snub telegraph.co.uk |
Inter 4-3 Tottenham Hotspur Joy had peculiar origins for Tottenham Hotspur. A rout abruptly turned into a revival that will be recalled for almost as long as a victory by Harry Redknapp's side would have been. The fortitude was uncanny considering that their goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was sent off after conceding a penalty as early as the eighth minute. The recovery was, it has to be admitted, a little illusory in the light of the fact that Gareth Bale completed a second-half hat-trick with two goals struck from the 90th minute onwards.The first of that late pair resembled his strike in the 52nd minute, when he burst away from Internazionale's 37-year-old captain, Javier Zanetti, and the next, on the verge of the final whistle, was struck impeccably after a pass from Aaron Lennon. There is one reliable conclusion from all the unpredictability of the occasion. Tottenham, when allowed scope, do attack with great verve.However, Inter largely conducted themselves like the Champions League holders they are. It could be, too, that the upheaval towards the end will simply ensure full concentration when they arrive at White Hart Lane on 2 November. For all that, Spurs are developing. Bale himself has made a great advance over the past year or so and there is a bittersweet satisfaction in knowing that the club have a player who will be coveted by the richest in the sport.The upper slopes of football were initially bemusing and slippery for Tottenham and even their improvement might have been taken as an irrelevance in a dead game had it not been for Bale. The club have spent decades yearning for an occasion such as this, at exalted San Siro. Their fans, too, came to cherish the occasion yet could hardly bear to watch as their side demonstrate their inadequacy even before the dismissal of Gomes and the award of the penalty that enabled Inter to move 2-0 ahead.Rafael BenÃtez will be aggrieved by what he must diagnose as complacency and lack of concentration in Inter ranks. At least he was making good on his pledge that he will put the accent on entertainment. That is the Spaniard's method of distancing himself from his predecessor, but some of the stringency of the José Mourinho would have been appreciated by the home support.Judging by the empty seats, Inter supporters had not anticipated a breathtaking challenge from Redknapp's players. Initially that judgment was prescient, yet this was a spectacle of sorts even then. Few sides collapse with quite such speed. While the dismissal of the goalkeeper made their position hopeless Tottenham had been incapable of resistance almost from the kick-off. While the central defence has been afflicted by injuries, the extent of the fragility was still surprising.The interval was still 10 minutes away when the fourth goal was conceded. Much praise is due to the Italians for the accomplishment of their football even if this was not the most rigorous test. There was barely a respectful delay before Inter had uncovered inadequacy in opponents still acclimatising to this level.Zanetti must have guessed that he need not confine himself to the usual duties of a defensive midfielder. Having begun the move in the fourth minute, he broke forward to score from the ensuing build-up by Coutinho and Samuel Eto'o. All notion of Tottenham establishing themselves quietly was wrecked.With 11 minutes gone, the penalty was conceded, and the sole delay in its conversion was caused by discussion among the officials. Wesley Sneijder's crossfield pass unleashed Jonathan Biabiany and Gomes brought down the Frenchman. Damir Skomina, the Slovenian referee, seemed to hold a seminar with his assistants before taking the obvious steps of sending off the goalkeeper and awarding the spot kick.The spot-kick was taken by Eto'o who comfortably beat Carlo Cudicini, the goalkeeper who had been brought on as Luka Modric was withdrawn.The third goal had come with a low shot from Dejan Stankovic in the 14th minute. Following a partly accidental link-up with Eto'o there were feints before he shot past Cudicini.Eto'o pounced once more, 10 minute from half-time, as William Gallas failed to play him offside from a Biabiany pass. That lapse by the Spurs centre-half confirmed the red card for Gomes had not been the sole cause of the initial rout here.It was Bale who prompted defiance as he launched himself from the halfway line in the 52nd minute. His run took him past Zanetti and Walter Samuel could not reach the Welshman before he converted the opportunity. Ultimately, this encounter may leave Tottenham with a conviction that there is potential in the team that can yet be realised to the full.Champions LeagueInternazionaleTottenham HotspurKevin McCarraguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
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