Football news

Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner has pleaded with Arsene Wenger to restore him to his favoured position up front.

Bendtner has been used in a wide role this season, with Dutchman Robin van Persie taking the central role in a front three. But the Denmark forward craves a return to his favoured striking spot.

"I am an attacker not a winger. I have always seen myself as a striker and it is my goal to play as a striker all the time," he said.

"It is important for me to play and when Arsene tells me to play in a position, I'll do that."

Robben predicts Chelsea departures

Former Chelsea winger Arjen Robben believes some of the club's current stars could quit the club due to the transfer ban, resulting in a "disaster" for the Blues.

FIFA imposed a 16-month embargo on the Blues after finding them guilty of inducing French teenager Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens.

"It would not shock me if players left," Robben, who now plays for Bayern Munich, said.

"Players like John Terry and Frank Lampard love the club and will probably stay. But I think players who have no long-term relationship with the club may leave.

"For one of Europe's super powers not to be able to sign a player for two years would be a disaster."

Taylor backs ban for U-18 moves

Gordon Taylor, the head of the Professional Footballers' Association, the players' union, yesterday advocated a ban on transfers for players aged less than 18 amid the fallout of Chelsea's poaching of Gael Kakuta from French side Lens.

"There's been a general feeling that a ban on movement of players under the age of 18 would be better for the game," Taylor told BBC Radio as he assessed FIFA's ban on Chelsea buying players until 2011.

"Football is about competition. You can't have all the best youngsters at the biggest, richest clubs."

Taylor has a dual role in that, aside from his PFA role, he heads up international equivalent FIFPro, which also wants to block transfers for players aged less than 18.

Rooney insists he was fouled

Wayne Rooney has assured Steven Gerrard he was fouled when earning England the controversial penalty which put them on the way to victory against Slovenia at Wembley.

Rooney has come in for heavy criticism from the Slovenian players for his part in the incident, which saw defender Bostjan Cesar limp off with an ankle injury.

But Rooney told Gerrard his shirt was pulled by Cesar.

The Liverpool captain said: "Wayne seems to think his shirt was pulled. I asked him straightaway if there was any contact, and he said he got dragged back.

"I didn't get a good angle of it because I played the pass, but Wayne said there was contact."

Sneijder a chance to face Scots

Wesley Sneijder could be fit to face Scotland on Wednesday after X-rays revealed the injury he sustained against Japan was not as bad as first feared.

The Inter forward was carried off on a stretcher after scoring in Holland's 3-0 win over Japan in Enschede.

But a statement on Inter's website revealed that he could now be back in midweek.

"The midfielder underwent X-rays and the good news is that he has done no serious damage," the statement said.

"The player will remain with the Dutch national team until Monday (today) to undergo further tests, after which his national team's medical staff will decide whether he is fit to play against Scotland."

Wenger reveals Balotelli admiration

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Inter forward Mario Balotelli can become one of the world's "greatest" players.

The Under-21 international has pace, power and technique in abundance, but his questionable attitude has seen him overlooked by Jose Mourinho recently.

"I consider Inter an excellent squad who can do really well in the Champions League," Wenger told Italian media.

"In particular I am keeping an eye out for Balotelli, a player I like very much. In my view he can become one of the greatest."

Xisco says he forced Newcastle exit

Xisco has revealed that he went on strike in order to force through a summer move to Racing Santander after being made to feel unwanted by Newcastle United.

After a dreadful season, Xisco was so desperate to leave that he feigned injury to avoid playing for Newcastle in their Championship encounter with Leicester City, in order to push through his exit.

"After a difficult first year in Newcastle, this year seemed that it was going to be more of the same and it felt like a good time to leave," he was quoted as saying.

"I even stopped playing in the last few days to force my exit.

"People there didn't want me in the squad and I didn't understand why."