MARK HUGHES hailed Roque Santa Cruz as one of the best natural finishers he has ever seen after the Paraguay striker ensured Derby entered the record books as the worst team in Premier League history.

IT is a measure of a footballer’s calibre that his age becomes an irrelevance. Gael Clichy may still look no older than his meagre 22 years, but in a tumultuous season for Arsenal, he has performed with the unruffled expertise of a veteran.

Derby manager Paul Jewell will hand a late fitness test to David Jones ahead of Monday’s Barclays Premier League clash with Arsenal.

AFTER narrowly avoiding relegation, most fans would celebrate a top-half finish with the sort of gusto usually reserved for Champions League winners.

Mile Sterjovski and Marc Edworthy could return to Derby’s squad for tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League trip to West Ham.

Derby manager Paul Jewell will select from an unchanged squad against West Ham.

HAVE Everton run out of steam as the race for the fourth and final Champions League spot enters the finishing straight?

Everton lost Tony Hibbert (hip) and Steven Pienaar (knee) for the Premier League meeting with relegated Derby, while Phil Jagielka was rested to the bench from the team that lost at Liverpool last weekend.

Derby manager Paul Jewell will be without defender Marc Edworthy for Sunday’s Barclays Premier League game against Everton at Goodison Park.

Derby 2 Fulham 2

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson has made two changes for today’s rock-bottom Premier League clash with Derby at Pride Park with his side surely never standing a better chance of ending their 32-match winless streak away from home.

Derby are waiting on the fitness of defender Jay McEveley ahead of tomorrow’s home Barclays Premier League game against Fulham.

SIX MONTHS and 25 games without a Premier League win, Derby County have lost most things this season, but not it seems their sense of humour.

Derby goalkeeper Roy Carroll is fit to face Middlesbrough in tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League clash at the Riverside.

Derby defender Alan Stubbs is certain to miss tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League clash against Manchester United at Pride Park.

Derby manager Paul Jewell could hand a recall to skipper Robbie Savage for the Barclays Premier League trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea.

ROY KEANE’S temptation to succumb to the roaring passion, which has so often been the catalyst for volcanic eruptions, must be stronger than ever.

Derby 0 Sunderland 0

Derby midfielder Giles Barnes will miss tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League game with Sunderland at Pride Park.

Jay McEveley is poised to return to the Derby side for tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League clash with Wigan after a seven-week lay-off with a knee injury.

IF Robbie Keane’s ambitions are realised, and Tottenham do end the season with two new cups in White Hart Lane’s dusty trophy cabinet, it is clear the club’s physios will be as crucial as their coaches.

Derby boss Paul Jewell faces mounting defensive problems ahead of Tottenham’s visit to Pride Park in the Barclays Premier League tomorrow.

New signing Mile Sterjovski hopes to make his Derby debut this weekend against Tottenham after finally being granted a work permit.

New signing Alan Stubbs and Roy Carroll are expected to make their Derby debuts in the Barclays Premier League clash with Birmingham at St Andrews.

Paul Jewell hopes that “ridiculous bureaucracy” does not get in the way of Derby being granted a work permit for Australia midfielder Mile Sterjovski.

Australia 1 Denmark 3

VETERAN playmaker Tugay propelled Blackburn towards the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup with a superb strike at Ewood Park.

Substitute Francesco Totti scored an injury-time penalty to stun Australia and guide 10-man Italy to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

THE most pulsating, dramatic, heart-stopping contest of a thrilling World Cup ended with Australia booking a last-16 meeting with Italy. Harry Kewell’s 79th-minute angled drive sent the Socceroos bouncing into the knockout phase for the first time in their history.

TIM CAHILL scored twice in the last six minutes and John Aloisi added a third in injury time as Australia made a winning return to the World Cup finals with a dramatic victory over Japan.

Middlesbrough 4 Basel 1 (Agg: 4-3)

Basle 2 Middlesbrough 0

Rangers 3 Graz AK 0

Basle 1 Hearts 2

Basle: Zuberbuhler, Zwyssig, Huggel, Sterjovski, Chipperfield, Gimenez, Kleber, Delgado, Philipp Degen, Smiljanic, Rossi. Subs: Quennoz, Carignano, Barberis, David Degen, Mandl.

Aston Villa manager Graham Taylor is adamant there is all to play for still in their Intertoto Cup semi-final tie with Lille.

Lille 1, Aston Villa 1,

Lille 1-1 Villa

Lille v Aston Villa teamsheets