Duff facing Italy D-Day
The winger is a major doubt for the crucial qualifiers after lasting just eight minutes of Fulham’s clash with Arsenal on Saturday. Duff pulled up suddenly and his club manager Roy Hodgson admits the nature of the injury had so far left him mystified.
“He felt something go in his calf,” said Hodgson said. “We won’t know how serious it is until we get the results of a scan. There was no one near him when he went down, it’s just one of those freak situations.”
Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni will be anxious to discover if the scan reveals anything more than minor damage. Anything more serious and Duff will almost certainly be unavailable for the visit of Italy to Croke Park on October 10, followed by the meeting with Montenegro four days later.
Duff’s absence would be a major blow. The player has been rejuvenated since being reunited with Hodgson, his former manager at Blackburn, and returning to the Premier League with Fulham following his August move from Newcastle United.
The midfielder had little chance to make an impression against Arsenal but his form has been consistently good during his previous four appearances for the club including the recent 2-1 victory over Everton when Duff scored the match-winner.
Sol Campbell, meanwhile, has claimed he quit Notts County after just one game because promises he was made about other big-name signings were not kept.
The former Arsenal and Tottenham defender walked out of Meadow Lane just 29 days into a five-year contract, worth a reported £40,000 a week, because he was the only major signing during the summer after his release by Portsmouth.
“I was told I’d be the first of many,” Campbell said. “Names like Roberto Carlos and Benjani were mentioned. But nothing materialised. And you know when people have money because things happen quickly.
“The only thing I’m guilty of is taking people at their word.”
County last night revealed the identities of two of the members of the independent trust which bought the League Two club in the summer.
The Football League confirmed earlier this week that they were looking into the purchase of the club and the Magpies have now revealed the names of two families who are part of the group behind the deal.
The Shafi family and the Hyat family – who are based in the middle east – have both agreed to be named and the club have confirmed they have extensive business interests throughout the Middle East, Japan, Kazakhstan and Pakistan.
Carling Cup fourth round draw: Blackburn v Peterbrough, Man City v Scunthorpe, Tottenham v Everton, Barnsley v Man United, Chelsea v Bolton, Sunderland v Aston Villa, Arsenal v Liverpool, Portsmouth v Stoke.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
