UPDATE 1-Soccer-English roundup-Lampard out for weeks with calf injury
Posted Friday, October 26, 2012 by YAHOO Sport
LONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Brief news ahead of this weekend's Premier League matches (all times GMT):
* Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard will be out for a "few weeks" with a calf injury, manager Roberto Di Matteo said on Friday.
The England international, who was forced off after 18 minutes in Chelsea's Champions League defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, will miss Sunday's top-of-the-table Premier League showdown with Manchester United (1600) and the League Cup clash between the teams on Wednesday.
"Frank is going to be out for a few weeks. He's got a calf problem, so we will miss him and it's a big loss for us," Di Matteo told reporters ahead of the Stamford Bridge encounter.
United will be without Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa who has been ruled out for up to four weeks with a knee injury.
* Arsenal's Jack Wilshere could return to first team action after more than 14 months out injured as Arsenal look to get back to winning ways in Saturday's home clash against Queens Park Rangers (1400) after successive defeats.
"Wilshere I have to consider. We'll make a decision tomorrow, if I put him in the squad or not. That's basically it," manager Arsene Wenger said on the club website
Wilshere was an unused substitute when Arsenal lost 1-0 at Norwich City in the Premier League last weekend but was not in the squad for the tame 2-0 reverse at home to Schalke 04 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
"We have hit the wall a little bit in the last two games and just did not find our rhythm," Wenger said.
* Roberto Mancini, the boss of champions Manchester City, said top players should be able to fit into any system after facing criticism for switching to a back three in his side's Champions League defeat on Wednesday.
City defender Micah Richards appeared to question Mancini's tactics after they lost 3-1 at Ajax Amsterdam.
"If you are a top player it is not important what system you use," Mancini told reporters on Friday.
"If you don't understand a system like that, you cannot play for a top team."
Mancini also confirmed Pablo Zabaleta will miss Saturday's clash at home to Swansea City (1630) after suffering a hamstring injury while David Silva, Javi Garcia, Maicon and Jack Rodwell are also out.
* Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina could return for Sunday's Merseyside derby at Everton (1330) after starting to train again following a hamstring injury, manager Brendan Rodgers said on Friday.
Australian keeper Brad Jones has deputised for Reina in Liverpool's last two games after the Spaniard suffered the injury on international duty with Spain.
"Pepe is back in training," Rodgers told reporters. "So that's good news. He's working well and we'll assess him over the next 24/48 hours."
* Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini has a "good chance" of being fit to face Liverpool on Sunday, Everton manager David Moyes told reporters on Friday.
"He's doing a bit of light training, so we'll see how he is," Moyes said.
"He's not a definite, but I think he has a good chance."
* The Everton boss is also hopeful defender Tony Hibbert could return for the match.
"With Tony, we're not 100 percent sure, but we'll monitor him," Moyes said.
"He's done a bit of training and took part in a game earlier in the week, so hopefully he'll have a chance."
* Sunderland signed former Scotland forward James McFadden on a short-term deal on Friday, the club said.
McFadden, 29, made eight appearances for Everton last season but was a free agent and could sign outside the transfer window.
Sunderland travel to Stoke City on Saturday (1400).
- Tag:
- Chelsea
- Frank Lampard
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