Ryan Taylor expects to be available for Newcastle’s game with Wolves. Ryan Giggs misses out for Man United tonight with an ankle problem. Arsenal assess the knee injury that forced Laurent Koscielny off in Milan last night, Roberto Mancini urges Mario Balotelli to keep calm, while Martin O’Neill is hopeful of a return to action for Lee Cattermole in this weekend’s FA Cup Fifth Round action:
Ryan Taylor has earmarked a return to full training on Monday and is confident of being available for Newcastle’s Gameweek 26 home clash with Wolves next weekend. Taylor has been speaking to Newcastle’s official website, with regards to his comeback from an ankle problem. He revealed he has been working with the club’s physio for the last few days and is stepping up his recovery, going on to say:
If we had a game this weekend then I might have been touch and go, but this way I can concentrate on next week now and I know I can be right. So it’s nice for me, whereas for some players that might not be the case. I don’t feel like I have to rush back.
Sir Alex Ferguson explained the reasoning behind his decision to omit three of his first-team squad for tonight’s Europa League clash with Ajax. Patrice Evra is rested for the trip to Amsterdam, after what his manager described as an “emotional weekend”, while both Ryan Giggs and Dimitar Berbatov are out with injuries. Giggs picked up an ankle problem in Saturday’s win over Liverpool, while Berbatov suffered a knock in training. Ferguson revealed Berbatov’s problem is the least significant of the pair- the Bulgarian could have played but it was decided not to risk him.
Roberto Mancini has refuted the suggestions made by Carlos Tevez in a recent Fox Sports interview. The Argentine was expected to apologise for his antics over the last few months but instead took the opportunity to allege he was treated “like a dog” by his manager. Mancini is keen to draw a line under the saga, with his comments far from indicating Tevez will be welcomed back into the first-team:
I totally disagree with Carlos, what he said, because I have never treated him badly. Maybe it is the opposite, I treated him too well, always. This is the last question I answer (on this) in the next three months. I don’t want to talk any more.
Mancini focused instead on the importance of Mario Balotelli. The forward has now served his four-match domestic suspension for a stamp on Scott Parker and his manager has revealed he has urged his compatriot to keep his cool, with Balotelli set to be a key player for City over the remainder of the season:
Mario is an important player for us, he has a good quality. He can play with Edin (Dzeko), with Sergio (Agüero). I think if his head will be OK in the next two months, he will be an important player. It’s difficult to find a good definition for him. We know that Mario is a fantastic player. He’s young, sometimes he will do some mistakes but for this reason, if he can keep his composure for the next months, he will be an important player for us, in the Europa League and the Premier League.
Brendan Rodgers is hoping to have Joe Allen and Kemy Agustien available for the trip to Stoke. Both missed the home defeat to Norwich with hamstring and ankle problems respectively, with Allen “expected“ to make the Britannia showdown. Rodgers also revealed Josh McEachran is lacking in match fitness. The on-loan Chelsea midfielder was granted a start against the Canaries due to the aforementioned injuries but was subbed off just after the hour mark, tiring as the match progressed.
Arsenal are assessing the knee problem picked up by Laurent Koscielny in last night’s Champions League hammering in Milan. With Per Mertesacker ruled out for at least a month with an ankle injury, any absence for Koscielny will present Arsene Wenger with real selection issues ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup clash against Sunderland. With Kieran Gibbs now fully recovered after a hernia operation, Thomas Vermaelen was moved back into the heart of the back-four in the 4-0 rout and is likely to be partnered with Johan Djourou for the Black Cats showdown if Koscielny fails to make it.
Bolton have suffered an injury setback, with the news that Tyrone Mears is set to be sidelined for several weeks. The right-back needs a screw replaced on his previously-fractured leg, having suffered discomfort since returning to action in Gameweek 24. Kevin Davies will miss this weekend’s FA Cup clash with Millwall due to a knee injury, though Coyle is still hopeful his skipper will be fit for next Saturday’s trip to Chelsea. The Trotters boss also revealed Marcos Alonso has returned to full training, though may require a couple of reserves games before making a first-team return. In terms of long-term injuries, Coyle also revealed Chung-Yong Lee could return to training in a couple of weeks, while no timescale has been put on Stuart Holden’s comeback, with the midfielder still over in the US as he attempts to step up his return from a serious knee injury.
Martin O’Neill is hoping Lee Cattermole will be available for this weekend’s FA Cup clash against Arsenal. The Sunderland skipper has missed the last three Gameweeks due to a hamstring problem but has returned to training over the last couple of days. The Black Cats boss also revealed Nicklas Bendtner has resumed training after being sidelined with facial injuries, though the on-loan striker is, of course, unavailable this weekend due to the terms of his loan deal. David Vaughan is also making good progress from an ankle injury, while Matthew Kilgallon is edging towards a return at the back.
