Villa: Spain’s all-time leading scorer David Villa was recalled to the squad by Vicente del Bosque yesterday for their opening 2014 World Cup qualifying matches. Villa, who has scored 51 goals in 82 games for Spain, broke his left leg last December and missed eight months of action. The world and European champions play a friendly against Saudi Arabia in Pontevedra on Sept. 7 and four days later travel to Tbilisi, Georgia to play their opening group game on the road to Brazil.
Schweini: Germany have left midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger out of their squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Faroe Islands and Austria this month. Coach Joachim Loew said the Bayern Munich player was still not match fit. “Our plan for Schweinsteiger is laid around the two matches in October against Ireland and Sweden,” he said.
City odds: Manchester City were the big drifters after the draw was made for the group stages of the Champions League on Thursday. They will be up against Real Madrid in Group D as well as Ajax and Borussia Dortmund. Generally 6/1 before the draw, City are now available at 10/1 in several places and that’s a best price about Roberto Mancini’s team. Real Madrid are the 4/1 second favourites and Barcelona the general 5/2 favourites.
Saviola: Malaga have signed Argentine former Real Madrid and Barcelona striker Javier Saviola on a one-year deal. The 30-year-old negotiated a release from his contract with Benfica and passed a medical at the Costa del Sol club. Saviola won 40 international caps with Argentina, scoring 11 goals, and after leaving River Plate for Barcelona went on to play with Monaco, Sevilla and Real before moving to Portugal.
Sissoko: Midfielder Moussa Sissoko has promised he will not leave Toulouse this season. The France international, 23, is under contract until the end of the campaign but has been linked with Wolfsburg and Fenerbahce this summer. He said: “I am under contract with Toulouse and I have to give everything for the club. I started my season here and I will finish it here, no problem.”