A round-up of today's other soccer news in brief ...
Blow for Trapattoni as Doyle ruled out for weeks
KEVIN Doyle has been told that he should be back training within four to six weeks after a scan on the Achilles injury he picked up in Saturday’s Championship play-off game against Burnley. The news effectively rules him out of Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria on June 6th as well, of course, as the friendly game against Nigeria in London eight days earlier, reports Emmet Malone.
The news will be a major blow to Giovanni Trapattoni whose striking options have already been reduced by the fractured bone sustained recently by Doyle’s Reading team mate, Noel Hunt, who is considered highly unlikely to be available for either of the Ireland games.
Doyle’s absence this evening could result in Dave Mooney, recently returned from his loan spell at Norwich, getting a place on the Reading bench. Reading face a 1-0 deficit from the first leg. They won the corresponding league fixture 3-1 back in October when Noel and Stephen Hunt as well as Shane Long got the goals.
Mascherano's future is at Anfield
ARGENTINA midfielder Javier Mascherano insists he sees his future at Liverpool.
Mascherano’s future has been cast into some doubt of late by suggestions from the Argentina captain he had not ruled out a summer departure from Anfield.
Manager Rafael Benitez had previously made it clear he was going nowhere, and Mascherano has now added his voice to that view.
“My future is here. I am here and I will continue to give 100 per cent and it will always be like this. I think we have taken a big step this season, a really big step,” said Mascherano. “In the past three or four seasons Liverpool have lost the league maybe in December or January but this time we are there right at the very end of the season and we still have a chance so this is very important.
“Our job now is to continue to work hard and to improve because we have shown that we can win against the biggest teams.”
Bruce signs new deal at Ipswich
IPSWICH defender Alex Bruce has committed his future to the club by signing a new two-year contract to stay at Portman Road.
The 24-year-old looked certain to leave the club as a free agent this summer after rejecting a new deal back in January but after the arrival of Roy Keane the Republic of Ireland international has signed on.
Keane told the club’s website: “I had a chat with Alex last week and told him I was keen for him to stay. He made it clear he wanted to stay so it was just down to sorting out the deal.”
- SCOTLAND, Norway and Denmark have each been given an extra place in next seasons Europa League for taking the top three spots in Uefas Fair Play table.
The winners of the domestic fair play league in the top division of each of those nations will go on to qualify for Uefas second tier competition.
Halford heads United in to finalSheffield Utd 1
Preston NE 0
(Sheffield Utd win 2-1 on aggregate)
GREG Halford’s second-half header booked Sheffield United a date at Wembley for their fourth play-off final in 12 years. The midfielder steered David Cotterill’s cross into the top corner on the hour-mark to settle a Championship semi-final second leg against Preston at Bramall Lane.
The Blades shaded the first half with Brian Howard and Nick Montgomery outstanding in midfield, but while Cotterill and Kyle Naughton peppered the Preston penalty area with crosses, the final ball eluded lone striker Craig Beattie. Late on Beattie almost doubled United’s lead when his shot was blocked by Sean St Ledger on the goalline and United midfielder Stephen Quinn was thwarted by the Andy Lonergan in the 86th minute.
Kaka staying
at AC Milan
AC Milan star Kaka insists he has no plans to leave the club this summer.
Manchester United are the latest club to be linked with the Brazil playmaker in recent weeks as speculation continues to surround his long-term future with the Rossoneri.
Long-term suitors Real Madrid are also thought to be weighing up a move for the 27-year-old, but Kaka says he wants to see out his contract Milan which runs until 2013.
Strachan denies rift with McGeady
CELTIC’S manager, Gordon Strachan, has vehemently denied that a personality clash between himself and Aiden McGeady was responsible for the winger’s surprise omission from the starting XI for the Old Firm defeat by Rangers on Saturday, reports Ewan Murray.
McGeady and Strachan clashed in December, a row resulting in the Republic of Ireland midfielder being suspended by his club for a fortnight and heavily fined.
Despite being a regular in Strachan’s side since then, McGeady was dropped for their crucial Scottish Premier League trip to Ibrox, Shaun Maloney taking his place. Given earlier strained relations, that decision by Strachan has prompted further debate over how things stand between player and manager.
“If you look at Aiden’s record since he came back from suspension, he has played in most of the games,” said the Celtic manager, The big question now is whether McGeady will return for Dundee United’s visit to Celtic Park tonight.
