PORTUGAL coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has named his squad for the World Cup qualifiers with Latvia and Estonia.

SPANISH star Xabi Alonso, who makes his Liverpool debut at Bolton in the Premiership, admits he is in awe of skipper Steven Gerrard.

Man Utd 3 Dinamo Bucharest 0 (Aggregate: 5-1)

LIVERPOOL manager Gerard Houllier has dismissed as “absolute rubbish” newspaper claims that he has been offered a job setting up a football academy for Soccer Australia.

GARY NEVILLE believes Manchester United face the prospect of kissing their Champions League dream goodbye for another season if they suffer a ‘Battle of Britain’ nightmare against Rangers.

THE girlfriend of Manchester United and England football star Gary Neville accepted “substantial” libel damages yesterday over newspaper allegations that she was unfaithful to him during the Euro 2004 championship.

ALEX FERGUSON believes the exertion of the Christmas period took its toll as Arsenal and Manchester United could only produce a stalemate at Highbury last night.

Chelsea 0 Liverpool 1

SOCCER star Niall Quinn is no stranger to heading balls into the back of the net. But now he hopes he and others who’ve played leading roles in sport can provide a safety net for young Irish footballers who don’t make the cut and return empty-handed from Britain.

THERE is no way of knowing for certain whether the arrow of political correctness has penetrated the shoulder, let alone the heart, of professional football. Somehow you very much doubt it. There remains something distinctly primeval about the game.

CLAUDIO RANIERI fears his players are trying too hard to make an impression and that it could prevent Chelsea from mounting a serious challenge to Manchester United's and Arsenal’s bids for trophies this season.

BAYER LEVERKUSEN started their Champions League campaign with a shock 3-0 win over a sluggish Real Madrid in Group B of the Champions’ League last night.

FRANCE’s William Gallas has cast doubt on his future at Chelsea, saying he is dissatisfied with the way the London club is managed.

BARCELONA continued their slide into mid-table obscurity after slumping to a 3-0 defeat away to a lively Racing Santander in the Primera Liga last night.

MANCHESTER UNITED have dismissed suggestions that Roy Keane and Rio Ferdinand will leave Old Trafford this summer as “absolute nonsense”.

ARSENAL edged out Manchester United in last year’s Champions League cash stakes, despite not reaching the quarter-finals.

ALEX FERGUSON can gag captain Roy Keane. He can stop his players answering questions in press conferences as he did in Paris with a sharp dig in the ribs of defender John O'Shea.

THE future of Ronaldinho is set to be decided in the next 48 hours as Barcelona made a late 30m bid to snatch the 23-year-old Brazilian World Cup winner from under the noses of Manchester United and Real Madrid.