In a Real turn-up for the books, Gareth Bale will not be joining up with the Wales camp during the upcoming international break and will instead be staying behind in Madrid to continue his recovery from injury. Carlo Ancelotti confirmed this news earlier on Friday, stating: "I think Bale is staying here to train for the next 15 days". This development came just hours after the Wales coach Chr...Full Story »

Hannover return to the comfort of their own four walls, bidding to clinch a fifth win in five games at the Niedersachsenstadion against Hertha Berlin. Defeat at Bayer Leverkusen last weekend saw the Reds fall six points behind the top three, but they have yet to drop a point in front of their own fans, where goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler believes they are a force to be reckoned with. "We've h...Full Story »

Andrés Iniesta has come out and defended Muñiz Fernández after his error in Elche: "The referee has been given a lynching. It's not good for football. It doesn't project a good image abroad." The Spaniard remarked on his contract renewal in statements to 'RAC-1': "I feel like the best years of my football career are still to come. That's why I want to stay here. They are sporti...Full Story »

The Champions League returned to the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday night and with it came the return of Iker Casillas in his first official match in the stadium since the 15th January. Casillas enjoyed a relatively quiet evening, the one shock came just before half-time when both he and his defence misjudged the flight of a corner and Sigurdsson hit the bar, just as it seemed as if the ...Full Story »

Marc Bartra is making the most of the opportunities which Martino has given him and has now played in the last three games, having started in the last two. His performances have been so good that the Barcelona fans are taken with him and already comparing him to Varane, the Real Madrid centre back who burst onto the scene last season. Everyone has already forgotten that Barcelona was looking ...Full Story »

Carlo Ancelotti continued to put his trust in Karim Benzema on Wednesday against Copenhagen but while he will get few better chances to win over the fans, the French striker was substituted without having found the back of the net. The crowd appeared to be divided in its reaction when Benzema was replaced with ten minutes remaining and it will take the player some more hard work before convin...Full Story »

England boss Roy Hodgson is likely to have two in-form strikers at his disposal for the crucial final Group H matches. Daniel Sturridge missed the last two qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine through injury while Wayne Rooney missed Manchester United's Champions clash with Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday night after suffering a kick on his shin by Danny Welbeck in training on Tuesday. But S...Full Story »

Manchester United manager David Moyes has confirmed Wayne Rooney will be fit for England's crucial World Cup double header against Montenegro and Poland. Rooney missed Wednesday night's 1-1 Champions League draw with Shakhtar Donetsk after suffering a kick on his shin by Danny Welbeck in training on Tuesday. With Roy Hodgson due to name his squad later today for the games that will determine...Full Story »

A dozen Uruguay players, including striker Edinson Cavani, are on the verge of suspension with one yellow card to their names going into their final soccer World Cup qualifiers this month. Uruguay play away to Ecuador on Oct. 11 in the tough, high-altitude Atahualpa arena in Quito and can ill afford to lose players for their last qualifier at home to Argentina at the Centenario in Montevideo ...Full Story »

The 56-year-old coach has shrugged off speculation suggesting that the Milan star could be dropped for the Azzurri in light of his three-game suspension for insulting an official Italy boss Cesare Prandelli has dismissed the notion that Mario Balotelli's domestic ban could see him be omitted for October's World Cup 2014 qualifiers with Denmark and Armenia this month. The AC Milan striker is ...Full Story »