Andros Townsend faces a spell on the sidelines after the Tottenham Hotspur winger injured his hamstring in Wednesday’s 2-1 League Cup quarter-final defeat to West Ham United, according to the London club’s caretaker manager Tim Sherwood.
Townsend suffered the injury in the 73rd minute and was immediately substituted, and Sherwood, who replaced the sacked Andre Villas-Boas on Monday, fears the 22-year-old could be ruled out for some time.
“It looks like it,” he told BBC.
“It looks like he pulled up with a hamstring.”
Swansea’s Vorm to undergo surgery
Swansea City goalkeeper Michel Vorm is to undergo surgery on a long-term knee injury.
“The Swans had hoped that Vorm would battle through until January, but after suffering more problems against Norwich last Sunday, it was decided that the injury couldn’t be managed any longer,” the club said.
The length of time Vorm will be sidelined will not be clear until after the operation.
The Welsh club also said Leon Britton and Chico Flores are expected to return to training this week after injury lay-offs.
Owen backs Reds for league glory
Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen believes his old club have the credentials to not only secure a Champions League return but to win the Premier League title this season.
The free-scoring Reds are currently second in the table and would take over from Arsenal, for two days at least, with victory over Cardiff at Anfield tomorrow.
“Liverpool are fully deserving of being labelled title conten-ders,” he wrote in a blog on Sportlobster. “The Reds are firmly back in the big time.
“The noises I am hearing are that (Brendan) Rodgers has money to spend this coming window and should he unearth another couple of gems, I wouldn’t back against them lifting some silverware come May.”
Gyor’s Pinter lands Hungary job
Hungary named Attila Pinter as national team coach yesterday in a surprise move after searching for, and then deciding against an overseas appointment.
“We talked and looked at at least 20 foreign coaches, but after all we thought a native coach would be better,” Hungarian FA president Sandor Csanyi said.
Pinter, coach at Hungarian champions Gyor, replaces Sandor Egervari who resigned in October after Hungary suffered an 8-1 defeat to the Netherlands.
“I think we cheated each other in the recent years, we targeted fake goals, after a win we thought we could beat any team, after a defeat we were the worst team in Europe,” Pinter said.
Iniesta agrees Barca extension
Barcelona’s Spain playmaker Andres Iniesta has agreed a three-year contract extension with the La Liga champions until 2018 when he turns 34, club president Sandro Rosell said yesterday.
The contract includes an option for further extensions on an annual basis depending on how often Iniesta plays, Rosell told a news conference.
“We are very, very happy,” Rosell said. “I think this is a great Christmas gift for all Barcelona fans.”
A product of Barca’s academy, Iniesta joined the club in September 1996 at the age of 12, made his first-team debut in a Champions League game in October 2002 and has gone on to help the Catalans win 21 trophies.
Rooney has groin strain, says Moyes
Manchester United manager David Moyes has played down fears of a major injury for Wayne Rooney by claiming the striker could return from a groin strain against West Ham tomorrow.
Rooney’s absence from the squad that booked a League Cup semi-final encounter with Sunderland next month thanks to a 2-0 win at Stoke raised obvious concerns among the United fans.
But Moyes insists it is nothing serious.
“It’s a groin strain,” said the United boss.
Then, when asked whether Rooney could face West Ham, Moyes replied: “He has got a chance, yes.”
Napoli make Agger bid – reports
Napoli have lodged a bid for Liverpool centre-back Daniel Agger, according to reports in Italy.
Sky Sport Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio wrote on his website that the Serie A outfit have stepped up their chase for the Denmark international.
Rafael Benitez is keen to sign his former player but according to Di Marzio, Liverpool have turned down the offer.
Agger is not playing regularly for Liverpool this season as Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho are Brendan Rodgers’s first-choice defenders.
Barcelona are also interested in Agger according to per-sistent reports in the Spanish press.