FABIEN BARTHEZ remains coach Jacques Santini’s first-choice goalkeeper for France’s Euro 2004 Group One qualifier against Cyprus on Saturday, despite his lack of match practice.

Celtic 2 Falkirk 1

Chelsea 0 Birmingham City 0

MANCHESTER UNITED chief executive David Gill has insisted the Red Devils’ Far East tour was a roaring success despite the endless stream of negative headlines.

MANCHESTER UNITED manager Alex Ferguson is hoping a little bit of Brazilian magic will propel the club into the group stages of the Champions League.

AMERICAN hero Tim Howard cannot believe how easily his Manchester United team-mates dismiss outside pressures and remain fully focused on their pursuit of glory.

NICKY BUTT has accepted the chance of a season’s loan at Birmingham to avoid the prospect of spending the months before the 2006 World Cup on the Newcastle bench.

POLICE were yesterday continuing their investigation into a racist attack on footballer Roy Keane after vandals set off industrial fireworks outside his home in Britain.

FABIEN BARTHEZ will remain France’s first-choice goal keeper despite his uncertain future at Manchester United.

MICHAEL OWEN hinted for the first time yesterday that he may move to a club abroad if Liverpool fail to qualify for the Champions League.

LIVERPOOL have refused to comment on a newspaper report claiming that billionaire Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is to buy a 30% stake in the club.

FINANCIER Dermot Desmond will pocket a cool €40 million from the takeover of airports’ operator TBI.

MANCHESTER United's second largest shareholder Malcolm Glazer has confirmed he may be interested in making a bid for the club.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND Under-21 manager Don Givens believes his side are crying out for a Roy Keane-type figure to shout and bawl at players.

STEVE BRUCE has insisted he intended no offence to Birmingham fans by waving to Manchester United supporters during the second-half of the Carling Cup clash at St Andrews on Tuesday night.

HAVING already made an offensive remark about black people, Ron Atkinson has now insulted the Chinese.

SUNDERLAND skipper Gary Breen has vowed to atone for the error at Wigan which cost his side a chance to open their Barclays Premiership account for the season.

THE late-night airwaves, with football fans negotiating exasperating traffic jams, are not renowned for the most considered of opinions.

NEWCASTLE captain Alan Shearer has warned his team-mates they will have to be ruthless if they are to achieve their Champions league dream.