Liverpool will have funds to strengthen their squad in January after the last transfer window left it thin on the ground, manager Brendan Rodgers said.
Rodgers, who replaced Kenny Dalglish in the close-season, has endured a frustrating start to his Anfield reign with just two wins from the first nine games in the Premier League.
“I’m in talks with the owners at the moment along with our recruitment team. We know we need to reinforce the group, so that’s something that is ongoing,” Rodgers said.
“We’ll have funds. The priority is to get players into the building. Our squad is very small, very thin on the ground, and the players have performed admirably up until now.”
Roma casualties
Roma’s hopes of fielding a full strength team for their Serie A fixture at home to Palermo have been hit after Zdenek Zeman’s side racked up more casualties.
Daniele de Rossi finished the first of two scheduled training sessions on Friday with a right ankle problem while striker Pablo Osvaldo also pulled out early owing to a swollen ankle, according to club officials.
It is not yet known whether either will be fit for tonight’s match against Palermo at the Olympic Stadium.
Levein set to discover his fate
Scotland manager Craig Levein expects to find out this week if he will continue in the job following the country’s poor start to their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Scotland’s chances of getting to Brazil 2014 are hanging by a thread as they sit bottom of their qualifying group with two points from four matches.
Levein met Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan and president Campbell Ogilvie last week to discuss his position.
Scotland face Luxembourg in an away friendly on November 14. Reports have said sacking Levein could cost the SFA up to £700,000.
Allardyce realistic about his future
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has given up any hope he may have had of one day managing one of the world’s biggest clubs.
The 58-year-old was quoted in the past as saying he was good enough to manage Real Madrid or Inter. But now he is clear on the fact he will not take over at any of Europe’s elite teams and will continue to do his best for the Hammers.
“I won’t ever be going to a top-four club so I think we’ll just leave it at that,” he said.
“I don’t ever comment on that anymore because other people will jump on the back of it and cause all sorts of columns to go here, there and everywhere.”
Referees ‘ponder Chelsea boycott’
Some Premier League referees are contemplating boycotting Chelsea games in the wake of the allegations made against Mark Clattenburg, according to former official Clive Wilkes.
Police and the FA have launched formal investigations into allegations Clattenburg used “inappropriate language” towards Jon Obi Mikel.
Wilkes said: “I keep in touch with a lot of the lads and there is such a strength of feeling about what is happening to Mark.
“I know a few referees who are even talking about boycotting Chelsea games because of all this.
“Remember, it’s not the first time Chelsea have targeted a referee – there’s been Anders Frisk and Graham Poll.
“And some refs are now saying enough is enough.”
New date set for Marseille-Lyon
The league match between French big guns Marseille and Lyon, called off last week due to hurricane-force winds, will now be played on November 28, authorities said.
The new date announced by Ligue 1 falls on a weekend reserved for the French League Cup quarter-finals, a competition from which Lyon and Marseille – who look set to challenge for the Champions League places this term – have both been eliminated.
Last Sunday’s game fell foul of winds of up to 130 kilometres an hour which lashed the Marseille region.
Defender Lucio on Milan’s radar
Veteran Lucio could be on the move again in January’s transfer window as reports in Italy yesterday suggested that the Brazilian defender is being tracked by Milan.
Corriere dello Sport said Milan supremo Adriano Galliani has set his sights on another bargain buy for the mid-season deals.
Many had expected Lucio to return to his country after leaving Inter in summer but he opted to sign for Juventus.
However, he has barely featured for the Bianconeri and there were already reports of an early exit.
Lucio is a non-EU player who would cost close to nothing for cash-strapped Milan.