IF Chelsea are to mount a belated defence of their Barclays Premier League title, they will have to play a lot better than they did at Blackpool.

Blackpool 1 Chelsea 3

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba returned to the starting line-up to partner Fernando Torres up front against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

Blackpool midfielder Elliot Grandin faces a late fitness test ahead of tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League clash with West Brom at The Hawthorns.

Ian Holloway plans to make wholesale changes for Blackpool’s FA Cup third-round tie at Southampton.

Blackpool’s David Carney will miss the Barclays Premier League match against Birmingham tomorrow after linking up with Australia ahead of the Asia Cup.

Blackpool manager Ian Holloway has admitted the wrong player was substituted in the win over Wolves.

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway made 10 changes from the side which drew 2-2 with Everton at the weekend for tonight’s Barclays Premier League trip to Villa Park.

Denmark 0 Australia 1

Damien Duff does not believe his Republic of Ireland team-mates will dwell on their 3-0 friendly defeat to Australia last night as they prepare for next month’s key World Cup qualifier against Cyprus.

A 30-YARD screamer right at the death ensured that Ireland versus Australia ended, appropriately enough, with a rugby scoreline but there was nothing grand about the slamming defeat which the Irish footballers endured on their first ever outing at Thomond Park.

Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni admitted his side had been handed a “severe lesson” after they were humbled 3-0 by Australia in Limerick tonight.

Republic of Ireland 0 Australia 2

Bective Rangers have been busy in their plans to make the step up from AIB League Division Two, swooping to take a quartet of players from Greystones.

Several Barclays Premier League players could be involved in a club-versus-country row after Australia named them in a provisional squad for the World Cup qualifier in China on March 26 which falls between two league fixtures.

DAVID CARNEY’S career has been filled with more drama than an episode of Home and Away, but by scoring Sheffield United’s winner, the Australian winger justified his decision to pursue a career in the game after the massive disappointment of being released by Everton.

Sydney FC’s Australia international David Carney has been granted permission to travel to England to begin transfer talks with Sheffield United.

Sheffield United boss Bryan Robson has confirmed he is interested in signing Everton forward James Beattie.

Oleg Luznhy has been released by Arsenal, it was announced today.