..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Diego Maradona's brother Hugo would love Napoli job

Hugo Maradona, brother of football great and former Napoli star Diego, is said to be targeting a top post in Serie A and has admitted he would relish the opportunity at managing at the club where his brother made a name for himself. In an interview with Naples radio station CRC, the Argentinian revealed his desire to work in Italy's top flight now that he has moved back to his wife's hometown.

The former midfielder discussed his recent move to Campania and what his career plans are now that he lives on Italy's Mediterranean coast.“My wife is Neapolitan and we came back to the city three months ago,” the South American said. “I’ve come to this city to stay.

"I want to learn about Italian football and take all of the steps necessary to then work in the Italian top flight. I’m in no rush as I want to learn the ropes. Could I one day boss Napoli? Anything can happen."I like Napoli, they are playing well even if it is too soon to predict the outcome of Serie A. I go to the stadium to watch a game at every possible opportunity.”

Hugo's brother Diego remains a highly respected and popular figure amongst Azzurri fans helping them to win their first Serie A title in 1987 and then in 1990.

 

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Anderson: Manchester United must improve

Manchester United midfielder Anderson has stated that the club must improve on last season after failing to win a trophy and a disappointing campaign in Europe.

Manchester City won the title on the last day of the season, finishing above United on goal difference, while the Red Devils failed to qualify from their group in the Champions League and left the FA Cup at the fourth round following a defeat away to Liverpool.

"We have to do better," Anderson told the club's official website. "Manchester United have to win every trophy and we're disappointed if we don't.

"There's always pressure to do well when you play for this club. Last season we lost the league on goal difference and everybody was sad. But we have to forget that and concentrate on this season."

After losing their first match of the season to Everton, the Red Devils have won each of their last two league matches at home against Fulham and then away at Southampton, with new-boy Robin van Persie scoring four goals in the two games, and Anderson says the new arrivals are great players.

"I think the team looks good. At the beginning of the season it's always difficult but we've got a couple of wins and now we want more," Anderson said.

"Shinji Kagawa and Robin van Persie have a lot of quality. They make it easier for the rest of the team when they have so much talent.

"It also means everybody works harder to try and keep their own place."

Anderson has struggled for game time at Old Trafford, having encountered several injuries since his arrival from Porto in 2007, but started United's last match against Southampton.

 

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Sterling worthy of England call up, insists Gerrard

Steven Gerrard believes that Liverpool teammate Raheem Sterling is deserving of his first senior England call up.

"I think he deserves this call up," Gerrard told reporters of Sterling. "The impact he's made has been sensational really, he's been one of our shining lights.

"The results that we've had so far this season haven't been good enough but he's stood up and been really good.

However, the Reds' and Three Lions' skipper stressed the importance of not over-pressuring the 17-year-old and other young members of the squad.

"I think the important thing now is that he keeps his feet on the ground, keeps learning, and keeps trying to find a consistency in his game, but it won't be very long before he's in the set-up for real as a regular because he is that kind of talent," Gerrard explained.

"These young lads are fantastic talents, I think the important thing is that [the media] are patient with them as well and we don't try and rush them.

Adam Lallana and Jake Livermore have also been brought into the squad, adding to a youthful midfield, including Tom Cleverley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, that the 32-year-old is keen to see blossom over time.

"They've got a lot of tools to go on and become fantastic England players but let's not bill them up and put too much pressure on them," he said.

"I wouldn't blame [the media] because you see the kind of performances they're putting in for there clubs so you cant help yourself getting excited.

He added, "I'm the same. I play with Raheem every day and he excites me everyday. I get carried away at times as well I just think it's important, they're only young boys they've got many years ahead of them.

"They are going to become fantastic players but it's important we don't bill them up too soon."

 

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Barcelona to wear colors of Catalan flag next season

Barcelona's away kit for the 2013-2014 season will feature the red and gold colours of the Catalan flag, according to regional newspaper Sport.

Fans have waited 113 years to see the Bars of Aragon on the region's most successful club and will finally get their wish next year.

The jersey will feature the famous red and gold stripes in an attempt by the club's directors to promote the team's connection to the autonomous region and its people.

According to Sport, Barca is "reinforcing the sporting and sentimental ties that the majority of the population of the region share,"

The current home and away jerseys already have had the colors of the Catalan flag on the back of the shirt since Joan Laporta's regime took charge in 2003, but this move goes a step further.

 

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Bojan: I do not mind wearing Kaka's No. 22 jersey

AC Milan's new loanee and potential signing, Bojan insists he is not in awe of wearing the famed No. 22 previously donned by Kaka.

In an interview with Italy's Gazzetta TV, the former Barcelona forward reminded everyone that in Catalunya he wore the famed No. 9 Blaugrana jersey previously worn by past greats.

"I know [about Kaka's jersey], but it is not the first time I have worned a famous number", the 22-year-old said.

"At Barcelona I wore the number 9, which was previously worn by [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo and [Johan] Cruyff."

The new Rossoneri striker then explained how he decided on the jersey for reasons not at all related to the club's former Brazilian superstar.

"Anyway I'm not one of those people who gets attached to the numbers" he continued. "I chose the number 22 because I arrived at Milan on the day of my twenty-second birthday."

Bojan burst onto the scene at Barcelona as a young precocious teenager but he eventually found chances of first team football hard to come by and left to join Roma. He is adamant that he made the right decision in leaving the Catalans.

"Never," he began, saying that he has never regretted leaving his former club. "Until a few years ago I never thought about playing for a team other than Barca, I could not even imagine being with another club.

"I arrived there when I was just nine years old, I came up through the youth ranks, I was with Barca for 12 years and I thought that I would stay there forever.

Bojan is appreciative of having a chance to play in Italy.

"Then I had the opportunity to move to Italy and I thank God for letting that happen," Bojan said.

"Rome has opened up another world, I met a completely different reality, from a football and more personal perspective, and this can only be a very good thing for my career"

Milan play its next game on September 15 against Atalanta where Bojan will look to make his San Siro debut.

 

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Kompany: The best is yet to come from Manchester City

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is adamant that the club have started the season well despite failing to keep a clean sheet in any of their matches so far.

City conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League last term with just 29 but have shipped five in three matches so far in 2012-13 and is currently fourth in the table, managing to secure a draw against Liverpool only thanks to a glaring late error from Reds defender Martin Skrtel.

The club captain, however, insists that his team have got off to a good start but that their opponents are proving more challenging than last year.

He told the club's official website: "We have seven points out of nine and have won the Community Shield against Chelsea so things haven’t started too badly.

"We have had some really good periods in games, but there are areas we need to work a bit harder on. We're not dismantling teams at present like we were at this stage last season.

"We generally give very few chances away, but when we have so far in the opening weeks, we've been unlucky because teams have punished us, though I think we have defended well overall."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool youngster Sterling called up to England squad as Walcott misses Ukraine clash

Liverpool's 17-year-old winger Raheem Sterling has been called up to the senior England squad for the World Cup qualifier against Ukraine.

Roy Hodgson's men suffered a setback when Daniel Sturridge (stomach cramps) and Theo Walcott (illness) both missed training on Monday.

The Arsenal man has returned to the north London club having been ruled out of Tuesday's clash with Oleg Blokhin's side, however the Three Lions' medical team are hopeful that the Chelsea forward will recover in time.

With Andy Carroll also having missed the 5-0 win over Moldova, and Wayne Rooney currently sidelined too, the England boss has decided to bolster his attacking options with the Reds' youngster.Sterling has only recently broken into the Merseyside outfit's first-team, after impressing in last year's NextGen tournament and preseason this term, but has already shown glimpses of quality in the Premier League.

The news comes just after the Jamaica national team coach, Theodore Whitmore, expressed interest in tempting the teenager, who was born in Kingston, into representing his country-of-birth.

The former West Brom manager has also handed callups to newly-promoted Southampton's winger Adam Lallana and Tottenham midfielder Jake Livermore as extra cover after losing five players from his original squad.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Eric Gomez: Carlos Vela's immediate future with El Tri hangs in the balance

The questions were peppered in by journalists, as if fired in via verbal machine guns.

"Do you think Mexico can win the World Cup?"

"What are you going to do about the United States?"

"Are you promising to win the Gold Cup?"

It was Jan. 13, 2011. The setting was the media room at the Centro de Alto Rendimiento in Mexico City. Up against the wall, donning the standard albeit figurative blindfold and a cigarette, was new Mexico manager Jose Manuel de la Torre.

Following two strong stints at Guadalajara and Toluca, two of the biggest winning franchises in Mexican soccer history, De la Torre was no stranger to press scrutiny. Four years in the Mexican Primera had yielded three titles, and an impeccable reputation for effective, balanced football.

The man nicknamed "Chepo" revealed nothing. Dodging the questions artfully like a seasoned politician, De la Torre avoided falling into the pits of unnecessary pressure that his predecessors had seemingly invited. There would be no veiled promise to win the World Cup, like Hugo Sanchez did in 2006. No promise of an Olympic medal like Ricardo La Volpe made in 2003.

"Being here is prompted by the player's conviction," Chepo said sternly. "We're representing 120 million people and that hierarchy of talent has to be something the player is conscious of."

His words were clearly aimed at those who had violated Mexico's code of ethics before his arrival, specifically centering around media scandal that had rocked El Tri the prior September.

In a party well after curfew with booze and allegedly prostitutes, the two men singled out from the unruly shindig were Efrain Juarez and Carlos Vela. Suspended for six months from the national team and made to pay a fine, both men seemed to damage their reputation and future with the team. Eventually, both men made it back before fading away. Juarez's bad run of form pushed him away. Vela's pettiness and perceived petulance keep him out of the mix to this day.

Since Jose Manuel de la Torre's ascension to the El Tri job, Vela has made exactly two appearances with the national team, with none coming in 2012. After a strong club season with Real Sociedad, the stage appeared set for Carlos to return for the U-23, linking up with his old partner Giovani dos Santos. Except he didn't want to.

"He has his reasons," said De la Torre when questioned about the issue last May. "It's valid for him to argue that point, he's watching out for his stability. We don't want anyone here who doesn't want to be here."

That "stability" was a move away from Arsenal, one that Vela dreamed of after accumulating just 29 Premier League appearances in seven years and one that culminated with the player joining Real Sociedad on a permanent basis. Rumors ran rampant that Vela shied away from Olympic duty because he didn't want to risk an injury. Meanwhile, Giovani dos Santos had his own issues with Tottenham, suited up for the U-23's and walked away from London 2012 with a gold medal. He now plays for Mallorca.

Whereas just a year ago a player with such mouthwatering talent such as Carlos Vela would have seemed irreplaceable in the grand scheme of things for Mexico, he's looking all the more expendable each and every day. A bevy of offensive talent is aching for its chance to break in with El Tri, and every time a new national team list is released, less and less voices clamor for the former Gunner.

It now seems that no matter what Vela does in Spain, Chepo will not be pressured into calling him up. As long as players like Dos Santos, Javier Hernandez, Oribe Peralta, Andres Guardado, Aldo de Nigris and yes, even Pablo Barrera continue to put in the type of performances that deliver Mexican victories, Vela runs the very real risk of missing out on Brazil 2014.

If anything, Jose Manuel de la Torre runs a tight ship. He's a proud guy, and he's loyal to his word. It's no coincidence that the first words that came out of his mouth on the day he was presented to the media referenced discipline. The ball is now completely in Vela's court if he ever wants to play for El Tri as long as Chepo's in charge.

Vela needs to communicate somehow and make his feelings known. Heck, a public apology wouldn't be out of the question, especially with how strong the reaction to his declination to join the Olympic team was last Spring.

At just 23 years of age, it seems pretty unfathomable that his international days could be over, or at least put on a long pause. Once seen as a vital lynchpin for any sort of Mexican success at the big stage, he could very well a footnote in El Tri's golden generation, a perceived locker room cancer that was aptly replaced by a hardline manager who really only wanted an apology and a commitment.

If for no other reason, he should consider this: Brazil 2014 will be one hell of a party.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pirlo: Juventus want to do well in all competitions

Andrea Pirlo has stressed that Juventus is aiming for victory in every competition this season.

The Turin giants beat AC Milan to the Serie A title last term, while making it to the final of the Coppa Italia as well, and Pirlo believes they can now make an impact in the Champions League, too, following their excellent transfer campaign.

"We enjoyed a great 2011-12 campaign and we're looking to build on that," Pirlo stated to Sky Sport Italia.

"The club has had an excellent transfer campaign, which should enable us to challenge for silverware in all competitions.

"We have started the new season with the ambition to do well in all competitions."

Juventus has won the opening two games of the 2012-13 campaign and currently sit on top of the Serie A table at the moment.

 

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Roberto Carlos: Anzhi do not want to sign Cristiano Ronaldo

Roberto Carlos has made it clear that Anzhi Makhachkala are not interested in signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid at this point.

The Portugal international recently revealed that he's unhappy at the Liga champions, and has since been linked with a move away from Madrid on more than one occasion.

Nevertheless, Roberto Carlos has stressed that the prolific attacker is not on Anzhi's wishlist for now.

"Lots of people have asked me whether Anzhi are after Cristiano Ronaldo. I haven't come here to sign Cristiano, though," the Anzhi director stated to Marca.

"Cristiano is happy here. If he doesn't want to celebrate his goals, then us, the people watching the games will celebrate them for him.

"He shouldn't worry, people like him a lot. Problems can be resolved."

The former Brazil international then went on to stress that Anzhi do intend to add to their ranks in the next transfer window.

"We are, however thinking about signing some quality players for next season."

 

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Sneijder reveals Major League Soccer interest

Wesley Sneijder has revealed that he is considering Major League Soccer as his next destination for his career.

"If my wife continues to be an actress, the MLS might be an idea," Sneijder told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "But not at this point. I want to stay at Inter. I have never thought about leaving Inter. I like the team, the city and the club."

While a move to MLS in the near future is unlikely, the 28-year-old could consider making a move to North America three years from now when his contract expires in 2015. For now, Sneijder remains focused on Inter's Serie A chances. He believes that after last year's disappointing season, Inter could challenge Juventus for the league title.

"I do not think that Juventus are stronger than Inter or any of the other teams. We can beat them," Sneijder said.

He also admits that AC Milan could be a threat as well.

"It might look like Milan have fallen apart, but they always have great players. And then there are teams like Napoli and Roma in the race for the Scudetto as well," he stated.

"It is going to be a long and hard season for all of us. Juventus are the reigning champions and the favorites, but we can definitely beat them."

The attacking midfielder then stated that he would like to be Inter captain in the future, but admitted that he's unlikely to wear the armband anytime soon as Javier Zanetti is still going strong.

"The captaincy? If only, but Zanetti will play on until he is 60...," he said jokingly.

Inter has collected three points from their opening two Serie A games.

 

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Zenit targeted both Nani and Joao Moutinho before the close of the transfer window

"The transfer of Nani failed mostly due to this reason, as he asked for an enormous salary and we would not pay him."Manchester United winger Nani and long-standing Tottanham transfer target Joao Moutinho were both in talks with Zenit St Petersburg on deadline day, the club's director-general has revealed.

The reigning Russian champion still managed to make a big splash in the market before the window closed by completing an 100 million euro combined double signing of Porto forward Hulk and Benfica midfielder Axel Witsel.

However, it has since emerged that they also tried to make another double swoop altogether, with the Portuguese pair of Nani and Joao Moutinho pursued if the aforementioned move failed to materialize.

"We really have been negotiating Nani and Moutinho, but Hulk and Witzel were top priorities," explained Zenit chief Maxim Mitrofanov.

"It must be understood that any transfer campaign is based on the list of players, ranked by priority."

Mitrofanov also stated that a move was possible for the Manchester United man until they spoke to the player and realised that his salary expectations were beyond even their resources.

"If Hulk had demanded 8m-10m euros a year, these conditions would have been unacceptable for Zenit," Mitrofanov explained.

Nani has just two years remaining on his contract at Old Trafford, while Moutinho was reportedly just minutes away from completing a switch to Andre Villas-Boas' Tottenham Hotspur before the window closed.

 

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Germany 3-0 Faroe Islands: Ozil inspired in routine triumph

Germany put its recent run of poor results behind it getting a 3-0 win over Faroe Islands to start 2014 World Cup qualifying in Hannover.

Joachim Low's side dominated the match from start to finish, but a mixture between poor finishing and excellent goalkeeping from Gunnar Nielsen limited them to one goal, scored by Mario Gotze at the break.

The second half was a slightly easier affair for the hosts, who extended their lead through a Mesut Ozil double and ran out comfortable winners.

Unsurprisingly, it was the hosts who made all the early running after the match started. Thomas Muller's charge into the box was unceremoniously ended by Rogvi Baldvinsson, but Mesut Ozil could only lift the ball into the wall.

The Faroes had been resolute at the back, but going forward, they had offered next to nothing, with their only moment of note in the first half coming on 13 minutes when the ball dropped to Simun Samuelsen just inside the Germany box, but the 27-year-old miscued his volley, letting the opportunity slip.


The Faroese defense remained resolute to make goal-saving blocks to deny Schurrle, Lukas Podolski and even Lahm, before Podolski's first touch let him down in a promising area.

Neuer remained aware enough to block Christan Holst's long-range effort and gather it at the second attempt and deny the visitors a consolation goal.

And that was just about the end of the action. Germany coasted through the remaining minutes of the game and ended its two-game losing streak. The nation makes the short trip to Austria on Tuesday.

 

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Barcelona to wear colors of Catalan flag next season

Barcelona's away kit for the 2013-2014 season will feature the red and gold colours of the Catalan flag, according to regional newspaper Sport.

Fans have waited 113 years to see the Bars of Aragon on the region's most successful club and will finally get their wish next year.

The jersey will feature the famous red and gold stripes in an attempt by the club's directors to promote the team's connection to the autonomous region and its people.

According to Sport, Barca is "reinforcing the sporting and sentimental ties that the majority of the population of the region share,"

The current home and away jerseys already have had the colors of the Catalan flag on the back of the shirt since Joan Laporta's regime took charge in 2003, but this move goes a step further.

 

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'The national team are like my family' - David Villa hails return to Spain squad

Spain striker David Villa has expressed his satisfaction at returning to the national team, after scoring in Friday evening's 5-0 friendly win over Saudi Arabia.

The 30-year-old broke his tibia in the FIFA Club World Cup match against Al-Sadd in Japan in December, which led the forward to miss the rest of the season, and subsequently La Roja's Euro 2012 triumph in Poland and Ukraine.

Nevertheless, the Barcelona player hailed his return, and spoke of his affinity with the world and European champions, after scoring his 52nd international goal.

"It was a special moment, and [was] nice to return to play after so long. My goal is to accelerate, play a few minutes each day and continue to train with the team," Villa was quoted as saying by Marca. "I have to be grateful for the confidence the coaching staff has had on me. I love coming to [play for] the selection and be with my team-mates. Really, they are like my family.

"I enjoy [being with] them, and obviously was eager to be back with the team. I had a hard time being away, but I'm here again. I believe that I am far from being a starter. Every day, I feel better and I'm playing these minutes that are important and useful. I am the first to know that I have to keep working to get to the point I need to be at."

Vicente del Bosque's side commence their defence of the world title against Georgia on Tuesday. Kickoff in Tbilisi is at 2:00 p.m. ET.

 

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Honduras: Carlo Costly es nuevo jugador del Veria de Grecia

El delantero hondureño Carlo Costly fue presentado como nuevo refuerzo del Veria FC de la primera división del balompié de Grecia.

El atacante comentó que se encuentra comprometido a dar resultados de inmediato y, de esta forma, regresar la confianza que le brindó el cuerpo técnico"Estoy muy contento de jugar en Grecia con la camiseta de Veria. Sé lo suficiente sobre el fútbol griego y su equipo nacional, que ganó el campeonato europeo en 2004", expresó el catracho.

"Lo que puedo prometer es que voy a dar mi mejor esfuerzo para ayudar a mi nuevo equipo", agregó Costly luego de pasar con éxito las pruebas médicas y estampar su firma en el contrato.
Carlo Costly jugará con la camisa número 19, la misma que utilizó el máximo anotador del equipo, Calvin Cady.

 

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Chelsea named European Club of the Year after Champions League success

Chelsea has been rewarded for its Champions League win last season by being crowned the European Club of the Year by the European Club Association.

Roberto Di Matteo led his men to an amazing victory on penalties against Bayern Munich in the German giants' own back yard, and their inaugural European trophy has been praised further after being given this title.

The Blues were handed the award on Monday from their respective peers at the third annual ECA Awards at the Association's General Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

Di Matteo's side was disappointing in the league, finishing sixth, and it would have been forced into the Europa League was it not for its penalty heroics against Bayern.

Nevertheless, the club was "recognized for their outstanding achievement during the 2011-12 season on a European and domestic level," according to a statement.

Chelsea is one of the teams that makes up the ECA, the independent body that replaced it's predecessor - the G14 Group and the European Club Forum - when both were dissolved in 2008.

The first ECA awards were introduced in 2010, designed with the aim of "rewarding outstanding club performances, encouraging best practice and highlighting successful club management."

The award represents yet more good news for the Blues, whose double last season has been followed up by a perfect start to this season's Premier League campaign.

And despite a disappointing 4-1 loss to last season's Europa League winners Atletico Madrid in the European Super Cup, plenty of early-season optimism around the club will only be reinforced with this latest achievement.

 

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Assou-Ekotto: Lloris will have to fight Friedel for place at Tottenham

Tottenham defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto has warned Hugo Lloris that he will have to fight Brad Friedel for the right to become the club's first-choice goalkeeper.

Lloris joined the north London club on transfer deadline day but despite being France's No.1, he faces a challenge getting into the starting lineup following an excellent start to the season by Friedel.

Assou-Ekotto, who played in France for Lens, believes the former Lyon stopper is likely to have to wait for Friedel to make a mistake before he gets an opportunity to establish himself in the Premier League.

"It won't be easy for him because there is competition," the left back said to RMC. "No.1 keeper in the French team or not, he will have to fight to get the position in the team. We currently have a keeper that doesn't make any mistakes, who is very well-known in Great Britain.

"To start I believe Lloris will be No.2. If our keeper doesn't make any mistakes there is no reason to change."

Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas recently stated Friedel was the club's first-choice keeper, which prompted France coach Didier Deschamps to speak out on Lloris' situation.

 

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Kagawa hands Manchester United injury scare by pulling out of Japan starting XI

Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa has pulled out of Japan's starting lineup for its 2014 World Cup qualifier against Iraq with a back injury.

The 23-year-old played in Japan's 1-0 win over UAE last week but was named on the bench by his national side's boss Alberto Zaccheroni for the match against Iraq.

Kagawa played the first half in the match against UAE, but was substituted at halftime after Zaccheroni was reportedly frustrated with one of his star players' displays.

A Japan Football Association official told Japan's Daily Sports: "He felt uncomfortable in his lower back in practice yesterday, and we decided to wait a night and see how it looked, but he's not at 100% so we're leaving him off. He didn't go to the hospital."

Manchester United hosts Wigan on the Premier League on Saturday before kicking off its Champions League campaign next Wednesday with another home match against Turkish side Galatasaray.

Kagawa has impressed since completing his move to the club over the summer from Borussia Dortmund and Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson will be hoping he can recover from the injury.

 

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Brazil includes Luis Fabiano in squad to face Argentina

Brazil has announced their 21-man squad for the Supercopa de las Americas clashes with Argentina.

The Selecao will play a pair of derby matches with Alejandro Sabella's side, the first taking place in Goiania on September 19, before traveling to Argentina for a game in Resistencia on October 3.



Luis Fabiano has received his first call up since the 2010 World Cup, with the Sao Paulo man in imperious form so far this season, scoring 10 goals in 12 league games in 2012.

Elsewhere, Neymar, Leandro Damiao and Wellington Nem make up an exciting forward line, while Atletico Mineiro's young midfielder Bernard has been given his debut call-up.