Jose Mourinho is likely to demand a salary of £4 million a year to take the England manager's job. Reports claim that Mourinho will ask for the same payment that Sven-Goran Eriksson was paid to take over as manager in 2001.

Mourinho has been coy about his prospects thus far. He told Sky Sports on Wednesday he 'knew nothing' about the job, having previously been quoted as saying the FA would have to 'come and get' him.

"I know nothing, I know nothing about it," he said outside his house in Portugal. "The only thing I know is I should be on my sofa watching the game and you knock on my door... I have nothing to say."

Owen back soon for Magpies

Michael Owen could be back in action for Newcastle within weeks. The 27-year-old has returned from his trip to Germany to consult top specialist Hans-Wilhelm Muller Wohlfahrt over his torn thigh muscle.

Manager Sam Allardyce said: "Michael is back and coming forward a lot quicker than we thought, and we will hopefully have him back well before Christmas."

Neither Allardyce nor Owen are setting a specific date for a return, although there have been suggestions he could even make the Premier League clash with Birmingham on December 8.

Stelios sounds warning

Stelios Giannakopoulos will leave Bolton unless he is given more playing time. The Greek midfielder found himself pushed to the periphery under Sammy Lee but is waiting to learn if he will come back into the fold now Gary Megson has taken over.

Stelios has courted attention from Sheffield United and Reading in the past and it does look as though he could seek pastures new.

He said: "I am not starting the games I would like to start and that troubles me. Megson has not spoken to me. I don't know if I am more involved than I was under Sammy Lee."

McAllister rules out Scotland job

Gary McAllister, the former Scotland midfielder, has ruled himself out of the running for the national manager's job. The former Coventry manager was speaking only hours after ex-Liverpool boss Graeme Souness hinted that he would like to be considered.

McAllister stated: "If I'm going back into football, I'd be looking to go into the day-to-day stuff."

The SFA need to find a replacement for Alex McLeish, who resigned from his post to join Birmingham.

McAllister won 57 caps for Scotland.

Donati wants victory

Massimo Donati said Celtic will go to Milan looking for a victory next month even though a point would carry them into the Champions League last 16. With group leaders Milan already through, Celtic would only miss out if they lose at the San Siro and third-placed Shakhtar beat Benfica.

"You must always go into a match looking for the win. If you don't get the win, you take the draw."

Donati was the stoppage time goal-hero for Celtic in Wednesday's 2-1 victory over Shakhtar. The substitute scored with almost the last kick of the match to send Gordon Strachan's side three points clear of the Ukrainians.

Wenger gets touchline ban

Arsene Wenger has been handed a touchline ban for Arsenal's Champions League tie against Steaua Bucharest on December 12.

The ban imposed by UEFA is a result of Wenger being sent to the stands after a row with the fourth official as Arsenal lost 3-1 at Sevilla on Tuesday.

The offence carries an automatic one-match suspension and will also deny Wenger access to the dressing room. It is the first time in his career that Wenger has received a touchline ban.

Beckham 'hit a home run'

David Beckham's move into MLS was an unqualified success and should pave the way for other high-profile European players to migrate to the United States, commissioner Don Garber said. He said he expected the 12-year-old league to eventually sign players like Barcelona's Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry.

"David was really a home run for us, to use a baseball analogy," Garber said.

Garber said the league, which owns all player contracts, pays the 32-year-old $5.5 million in base salary. He confirmed reports that Beckham stands to earn $250 million should he meet other incentives in his five-year contract, like revenue sharing and endorsements.

No problems with owners - Benitez

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said Wednesday's precious 4-1 Champions League win over Porto would change nothing in his dealings with the club's American owners.

Benitez has been at odds with Tom Hicks and George Gillett over transfer policy but said he had no personal problems with the two men.

Benitez said: "I have heard things said about it being my ego. But it is not about my ego, it's about my responsibility. I don't have any personal problems with the owners. We need to talk about the future and we will see what happens."

Australia hoping to play England

Australia are hoping to cash in on England's failure to qualify for next year's European Championship by organising a friendly against them.

Football Federation of Australia chief executive Ben Buckley said he had begun talks with FA officials about the possibility of playing a match in either Sydney or Melbourne.

"We are pursuing a team to play in late May, during the FIFA congress week and now that England are out of the European Championships clearly they would be an option that we would want to pursue," Buckley told reporters.

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