Chelsea’s defensive injury crisis deepened with the news that Brazilian centre-back Alex was likely to be out for two months because of a knee problem, joining John Terry on the sidelines.
The update on Alex, who had missed both the recent Premier League games against Fulham and Sunderland, followed news that Terry would continue to see specialists as the skipper looked to resolve his long-term problem with a nerve in his right leg.
The defending champions and league leaders saw their makeshift central defensive pairing of Paulo Ferreira and Branislav Ivanovic outmuscled by Sunderland during Sunday’s shock 3-0 home defeat.
Aurelio on brink of return
Liverpool defender Fabio Aurelio is in contention to return in this weekend’s Premier League clash against West Ham.
The Brazilian left-back stepped up his comeback from injury with a 75-minute run-out for the reserves on Tuesday night. Aurelio has not played for the first team since August 26 due to Achilles and groin problems but has now declared himself fit.
The 31-year-old said: “I was in the squad for the Stoke game but didn’t make the bench. Hopefully, I can play on Saturday.
“It has been frustrating not to play but I have been working hard and kept my confidence up.”
Balotelli wants to play with Ibra
Man. City striker Mario Balotelli has made no secret of his desire to play alongside Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the future.
The 20-year-old is already being linked with a move back to San Siro after he was seen with Adriano Galliani after Sunday’s Milan derby.
It’s no secret that Balotelli is a Milan fan. He famously played for Inter alongside Ibrahimovic before the latter left for Barcelona in 2009 and shares the same agent.
“One day I would like to return to playing with Ibrahimovic,” Balotelli told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“It doesn’t matter what shirt I wear. It would be great.”
Juve linked with Bocchetti swoop
Juventus are considering a move for Rubin Kazan defender Salvatore Bocchetti, reports said yesterday.
The 24-year-old full-back only moved to Russia in the summer, completing an unexpected €11m transfer from Genoa.
Il Corriere dello Sport reported that Juventus would like to take Bocchetti on a three-month emergency loan and have already made inquiries to that effect.
Bocchetti is said to be happy in Russia despite the fact that he was overlooked by Italy for yesterday’s friendly against Romania.
Juventus believe that Bocchetti’s desire to return to the national team’s fold is a factor that could tempt the defender to a return to the Serie A.
Afellay delighted at Barca move
Holland midfielder Ibrahim Afellay has described the opportunity to play at the Nou Camp as a dream come true.
Afellay’s current club PSV Eindhoven and Barca on Tuesday announced they had reached an agreement for the transfer of the 24-year-old to the Spanish champions when the transfer window opens in January. Barca are yet to agree personal terms with the player, but the Catalan giants hope to do that in the coming weeks.
“Barcelona are fantastic, a great club and a great team. No player would say no to Barcelona,” he said.
“I’ve never been to the Nou Camp, neither as a fan nor as a player and it’s a dream for me to play there, I’m very eager to make my debut at the Nou Camp.”
Kranjcar closer to Tottenham exit
Niko Kranjcar has confirmed he is close to quitting Tottenham after again being frozen out of manager Harry Redknapp’s plans. Croatia midfielder Kranjcar last week revealed he would leave White Hart Lane if he was not handed more first-team opportunities.
The 26-year-old has played second fiddle to Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon this season and has not featured since issuing his quit threat.
He said: “Of course, I have to wait to see what Tottenham have to say, but as things stand, a transfer somewhere else is not that far away.
“I don’t want to spend my years just sitting on the bench because I love this sport.”
Kranjcar’s father Zlato, the manager of Montenegro, claims his son has already made up his mind to leave, telling reporters: “Niko is definitely leaving Tottenham.”
Houllier interested in Real’s Benzema
Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier has confirmed his interest in Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.
The 25-year-old made a move from Houllier’s previous club, Lyon, to Real last year but is reported to be unsettled. It would be a massive coup for Villa if Houllier could attract such a quality player.
The Villa boss said: “If Karim wants to come and play at Aston Villa, we would sign him tomorrow.”
Houllier is already poised to sign former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires in the next two to three days.
Pires is a free agent following his release by Villarreal last summer.