Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a double boost ahead of Sunday’s crunch Premier League clash with Everton with Mousa Dembele and Andros Townsend in contention after injury lay-offs.
One point separates fifth-placed Everton with hosts Spurs in sixth, with both sides aiming to keep pace with Liverpool, who occupy the final Champions League qualification spot.
England winger Townsend has missed the last nine matches due to a hamstring strain while Dembele was nursing an ankle injury.
Hoolahan focused on Canaries – Hughton
Norwich manager Chris Hughton has insisted Wes Hoolahan is committed to the Canaries’ cause after the wantaway winger was denied a January move.
Hoolahan had a transfer request rejected last month after Aston Villa, managed by former Carrow Road boss Paul Lambert, had a bid rebuffed by Norwich.
“Wes will be in the squad,” Hughton said in reference to tomorrow’s match against Manchester City.
“There is only one thing that is certain now: Wes will be here.
“Wes is very committed. We have a 14-game end-of-season run-in and he’s very much there for the challenge, very much part of the squad.”
Bale rested ahead of Villarreal clash
Gareth Bale was left out of Wednesday’s King’s Cup semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid to keep him fresh for Real Madrid’s La Liga match at home to Villarreal tomorrow.
The Wales winger was expected to feature in the game at the Bernabeu, which Real won 3-0, after recovering from a calf problem but coach Carlo Ance-lotti explained that Cristiano Ronaldo’s three-match ban in the league had forced his hand.
“Bale has not suffered a relapse and he is in very good shape,” the Italian told a news conference.
“We won’t be able to use Cristiano on Saturday and having Gareth fresh could be a good thing for us. That’s why I rested him.”
Sacked Laudrup seeking legal advice
Michael Laudrup has blasted the manner of his sacking by Swansea and has said he is taking legal advice over the dismissal.
The Dane was sacked on Tuesday following a poor run of form.
Laudrup said: “I am disappointed to have been dismissed as manager of Swansea City.
“In particular, the manner in which it happened and the actions the club has taken since notifying me in the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty action was necessary.
“I am, of course taking legal advice and the LMA have already written to the club asking for a proper explanation as to why I was summarily dismissed.”
Inter ready to break wage cap for Vidic
Inter are prepared to break their wage structure to sign Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Serbian is eligible to talk to interested parties as he enters the final few months of his contract with United.
Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that Inter have made progress in their talks with the 32-year-old but they still face competition from several clubs, including Serie A rivals Juventus and Milan.
Club owner Erick Thohir has reportedly approved breaking the club’s wage cap of €2.5m to try and tempt Vidic who at United is said to be currently earning more than €4.8m a year.
Niang charged over car crash
Montpellier’s on-loan striker Mbaye Niang was charged with driving without a licence yesterday following a car accident and will appear in court later this month, a police source said.
Niang was detained early in the morning for questioning by local police, four days after the 19-year-old’s Ferrari crashed into a tree near the Ligue 1 club’s training ground.
“He has been charged with accidental injuries, failure to control his vehicle, driving without a licence and hit-and-run,” said a police source close to the investigation.
Niang, who joined Montpellier last month from Milan, will appear before a judge on Feb. 24 and faces a sentence of five years in jail and a €75,000 fine.
Roma punished after anti-Napoli chants
Roma will have two sections of their Stadio Olimpico closed for the next two home Serie A matches after fans aimed “terri-torially discriminatory” chants towards Napoli fans during Wednesday’s Italian Cup clash.
A one-game ban was handed out for chants during Roma’s 3-2 semi-final first leg win over Napoli on Wednesday, while a further suspension was added following a suspended punish-ment for similar chants during a league match earlier this season.
The two sections will be closed for Roma’s matches with Samp-doria on Feb. 16 and Inter on March 1.