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Football News and Instant Reports

Bastos to miss Madrid test
Lyon’s Brazil international Michel Bastos is suffering from a muscle strain and has been ruled out of his side’s round-of-16 Champions League clash with Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.

Aït-Fana prefers Bleu
Montpellier wing sensation Karim Aït-Fana has turned down a call-up from the Moroccan national team, the France U-21 international choosing to maintain an option on a future in Bleu.

Hull v Arsenal - Premier League preview / Worth watching
Hull v Arsenal, Premier League, March 13, 2010

Tottenham v Blackburn - Premier League preview / Worth watching
Tottenham v Blackburn, Premier League, March 13, 2010

Jamie Reed: 22-year-old English footballer on Fire in Wales (Video) / Player on fire
Introducing Jamie Reed, a 22-year-old English footballer playing for Bangor City of the Welsh Premier League. The striker is showing good promise, scoring six goals in his last five matches and holds a current tally of 15 goals in 22 appearances.

VIDEO: Cyril Thereau (Charleroi) with a great hat-trick v Lokeren / Performances of the day
26-year-old Frenchman Cyril Thereau scored an amazing hat-trick for Sporting Charleroi in their 4-1 win over Lokeren in the Belgian Pro League.

MLS players vote to strike
Major League Soccer players have voted to go on strike if no new labour agreement can be agreed with the league before the season starts.

Arsenal boss Wenger reiterates Real Madrid snub
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has said he would not be interested in becoming the next Real Madrid manager, claiming he will see out his current contract to 2011.

Man Utd hero Rooney: Improved headed goals down to bald patch!
Manchester United ace Wayne Rooney knows the key to his success - his HAIR LOSS! Rooney scored twice on Wednesday night as Manchester United thrashed AC Milan 4-0 to go through to the Champions League quarter-finals, taking his tally to 30 for the season. His heading has come on leaps and bounds and he was at it again with his first on Wednesday night. "It's coming off my bald patch and that's helping me score," quipped Rooney, proving he is as sharp behind the microphone as he is in the box. "I've been working on my heading a lot and thankfully it's paying off."

Man Utd striker Rooney admits England captaincy ambitions
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney admits he has his eyes on the England captaincy. Rooney says he has no concerns about carrying England's hopes at this year's World Cup. "No, to be honest, I don't," said Rooney. "I think I've had pressure since I started playing for Everton at 16 and for England at 17. "I've managed to deal with that pressure and find a way to deal with it and it doesn't really affect my game. I don't think I have any problems there." Indeed, Rooney is targeting greater responsibility in future. "I think I've got qualities to be England captain so I hope one day to be able to do that," he said.

Arsenal boss Wenger dismisses Real Madrid talk
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has told Real Madrid 'he doesn't want to know'. With Real Madrid having fallen to Lyon, speculation is almost inevitable that Wenger will be targeted once more to take over at the Bernabeu. "Leave me alone on that," Wenger said. "I was always going to go to the end of my contract which is 2011. There's just no way. "I'm concentrating on Hull City. You might think that is less glamorous, but they are far more important in my life."

Man Utd anti-Glazer fans hail Beckham gesture
The Manchester United Supporters Trust was delighted with David Beckham's decision to don a green-and-gold scarf after AC Milan's defeat at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Over 3,000 fans joined the anti-Glazer cause after the gesture from Becks. MUST spokesman Sean Bones told the Daily Mail: "What Beckham did was a fantastic gesture from the heart of a United legend who cares passionately about Manchester United and its supporters. "David is exactly the right type of person United supporters would love to see as a future Red Knight."

Dallas Cowboys supremo Jones urges Liverpool, Man Utd fans to back owners
The owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, has urged Manchester United fans to get behind the Glazers, insisting the Americans will maintain the club's success. Jones also says Tom Hicks and George Gillett will get it right at Liverpool. Jones says: "Do not doubt for one moment that American businessmen as successful as these gentlemen understand the culture they have bought into. They get it, all right." On the debt of both United and Liverpool, he also told the Daily Mail: "Logically nobody should be allowed to spend $1.2billion on a stadium but I was given that credit line so I ran away with it. 'It will be the same in England. Once the stadium or the team is finished being built then, no matter what the cost, there are no more questions, no more problems."

Arsenal boss Wenger admits Porto win rescued Fabianski
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits victory over Porto has rescued goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. The Poland goalkeeper, criticised for his display in the first leg, has been saved from a guilt-trip because Arsenal cruised through in the Champions League second leg on Tuesday. Wenger replied: "Yes, it would have had long-term mental consequences for him had we gone out. "He could have felt, 'Ah, they blame me.' even if it wasn't true. "So I think the result on Tuesday has helped him to recover. He is a top-class keeper and one day you will see I'm right."

England boss Capello has Man Utd fullback Neville in plans
Manchester United captain Gary Neville is in the thoughts of England boss Fabio Capello. The Manchester United full-back impressed against AC Milan on Wednesday night and the England manager will turn to the 35-year-old if there are concerns over the fitness of Liverpool's Glen Johnson or teammate Wes Brown in May. The Daily Mail says sources close to Capello insist that Neville is third in the pecking order when it comes to right-backs - ahead of players like Micah Richards - and the Italian is encouraged by the fact that he has now made 20 appearances for United this season after a difficult two or three years with injury.

Nasri: Arsenal fighting every game for Ramsey
Samir Nasri has vowed to fight until the end of the season for injured Arsenal teammate Aaron Ramsey. The French midfielder expects Ramsey to make a full recovery too and admits that the teenager's plight will be an inspiration to Arsenal for the rest of the season. "We will fight for him constantly, because what happened to him was really bad," he told the Official Arsenal Matchday Programme. "At the start of the season I broke my leg too, but it was not like Aaron’s injury. We could tell on the pitch that it was something very serious. "I was talking to Djibril Cisse, my former team-mate at Marseille, last week because he had the same injury, and he’s optimistic about the future for Aaron. As for Aaron himself, he is doing well, his morale is good - he has all the support from the fans and when you have an injury like this that’s really important. "We had good news about his surgery this week so we are glad about that and hope he gets well soon."

Arsenal boss Wenger: Champions League results proof Premiership League strongest
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says this week's Champions League results is proof the Premier League is getting stronger. The Premier League this season has been it's most competitive in years. “It shows the Premier League is strong, but this is not the only season in which it has happened,” Wenger told arsenal.com. “That means we have not weakened. “In the Premier League this season the top teams have lost more games domestically, but that had no consequences on Europe. “We have not been weakened internationally, but the Premier League has maybe become stronger.”

Rooney: Man Utd form down to playing striker
Wayne Rooney says playing as striker at Manchester United has taken him to a new level this season. Rooney believes playing up front - rather than in wide positions - has contributed to his phenomenal tally. "I've been in the box a lot more, I've been working on my timing and my finishing," he said. "I've played up front in every game I've played this season and that's definitely the main reason for me scoring a lot of goals."

Portsmouth players rally to fund staff wages
Portsmouth players are ready to fund the wages of several staff after this week's lay-offs. The Daily Mail says players are preparing to dip into their own pockets in a bid to keep up to eight members of the training ground staff in work until the end of the season. Led by goalkeeper David James and club captain Hermann Hreidarsson, the players are desperate to keep the kit men, catering staff and cleaners they consider vital in their bid to reach a second FA Cup final in two years. The entire squad have clubbed together in an attempt to keep more training ground staff in employment. Yesterday they were trying to navigate their way through the legal red tape in a bid to make it happen. "These people are the oil in the machine," said one Fratton Park insider. "We are only talking about raising about £1,500 from each player. It's not a lot when they could end what has been a difficult season by appearing in the FA Cup final."

Gadsby planning new takeover bid for Derby
Peter Gadsby is planning a £37 million return to Derby County. The Daily Mail says the multi-millionaire property developer is attempting to wrestle control from the club's American owners. Gadsby is prepared to buy out the existing owners with an ambitious plan to re-develop the site at Pride Park into a leisure complex.