Premier League:Ancelotti grieves death of father

Chelsea will have to prepare for Sunday's match against Arsenal without manager Carlo Ancelotti following the death of his father.

The Blues boss flew out to his homeland earlier in the week to be with his dad, who passed away at the age of 87 on Wednesday night.

Ancelotti will remain with his family in Italy for the funeral on Saturday before returning to London to take his place in the dugout at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian's backroom team, which includes coach Ray Wilkins, will take charge of preparing the Premier League champions for the crucial clash against the Gunners prior to his return on the day of the game.

Chelsea suffered their first defeat of the season against Manchester City last weekend but still hold a four-point cushion over Arsenal after Arsene Wenger's men suffered a shock home reverse at the hands of West Brom.

A statement on the club's official website read: "Carlo Ancelotti's father Giuseppe passed away in Italy last night aged 87 with his son at his side.

"Everyone at Chelsea Football Club sends our deepest condolences to Carlo and his family. They are all in our thoughts at this time.

"The funeral will take place in Italy on Saturday. Carlo will return to London for Sunday's match versus Arsenal."

Assistant manager Ray Wilkins will take Friday's press conference in Ancelotti's absence.

Premier League:Drogba reveals Arsenal love affair

Didier Drogba admits it will 'mean a lot' to face Arsenal at the weekend after admiring the team in his early playing career.

The Blues entertain their London rivals at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in one of the biggest clashes of the Premier League season.

And former Marseille man Drogba says he is relishing the encounter after following Arsene Wenger's side during his playing days in France.

"I love playing big games and I love playing against Arsenal," Ivory Coast striker Drogba told Sky Sports News.

"I always say that Arsenal is one of my favourite teams.

"When I was playing in France, Arsenal was an example for us because there were all these French players who used to play in the French league and went abroad to play for Arsenal with a French manager.

"So to play against them for me means a lot."

Both Chelsea and Arsenal enter the capital derby on the back of their first Premier League defeats of the campaign last weekend, against Manchester City and West Brom respectively.

However, the two sides have gone some way to compensate for their losses with success in their midweek UEFA Champions League group games.

Drogba has underlined the importance of Sunday's clash, insisting it is crucial defending champions Chelsea do not relinquish another three points.

"I don't think we can afford to lose a second game, especially against Arsenal," he said.

"People have to know, and we know, that we're going to lose some games this season.

"But again, it's always good to win, it's always better to win."

Drogba was substituted in the 75th minute of Chelsea's 1-0 defeat at City last Saturday, and admits he was surprised to make an early exit.

However, the striking ace insists he respects manager Carlo Ancelotti's decision.

"I was surprised because I didn't expect that at that moment of the game," he added.

"But the managers always decide and I think he had some reasons and I understand them."

Europa League:Europa League Thursday Preview

The Europa League returns with the potential for drama at every turn. We've previewed each group so you don't have to.

Manchester City vs Juventus (Group A) immediately jumps out at you as a must-watch clash but there's plenty of other match-ups worth taking note of.

Holders Atletico Madrid, who lost their opening match in the competition, face a tough home tie against fomer Champions League finalists Bayer Leverkusen (Group B).

There's also another Spanish-German clash in Group J as Sevilla are at Borussia Dortmund.

Meanwhile, Liverpool head to Holland to play Utrecht with boss Roy Hodgson promising to make up for last week's Carling Cup debacle.

Here are the Group Previews:

Group A

Manchester City at home to Juventus is the pick of Thursday's Europa League matches for a number of reasons. For one, there has been a lot of talk between the two sides ahead of the clash.

Juventus' Marco Motta did not do himself any favours in Manchester by declaring that City are "proof of how big-name signings and big spending are not enough to obtain great results."

One of those expensive new arrivals that Motta talked about is Jerome Boateng, who manager Roberto Mancini is debating whether or not to hand the Germany star his first start against Juventus at Eastlands.

Adding more spice to what should be an entertaining contest, Mancini has openly said he used to support Juve as a boy but that Thursday's match won't be a special occasion for him.

Juve go into this encounter with a poor defensive record but boss Luigi Del Neri remains confident his side can get the result they need following their opening round draw with KKS Lech Poznan.

The Polish side play FC Salzburg next.

Manchester City vs Juventus Preview

Lech Poznan vs FC Salzburg

Group B

Atletico Madrid did not get their defence of the Europa League off to a good start when they came away form Greece as shock 1-0 losers to a team many pundits might struggle to spell. Aris Thessaloniki FC did themselves proud that night but do not expect the same lethargic performance from Atletico on Thursday as they host German side Bayer Leverkusen.

Quique Sanchez Flores' men have actually started the season well - they beat Inter Milan in the UEFA Super Cup - and are currently fifth in the Spanish La Liga after five rounds.

Bayer Leverkusen, who smashed Rosenborg BK 4-0 in their opening Group B match, might still fancy coming away from Spain with at least point, especially with ex-Real Madrid manager Jupp Heynckes' knowledge of Spanish football at their disposal.

Atletico will be without new centre-back Diego Godin, because of a knee injury.

In the other clash Greek conquerors of Atletico, Aris have the chance to take Group B by the scruff of the neck by winning against Rosenborg. Aris have never lost at home in Europe - a run now at 22 games - but they will have to get a result in Norway.

Atletico vs Leverkusen Preview

Rosenborg vs Aris Preview

Group C

Portuguese giants Sporting are in bad shape at the moment. Their hunt for another domestic title has descended into mid-table scraps but the good news is the Europa League can provide a welcome distraction as well as a platform for them to save their season.

Sporting got their Europa campaign underway with a notable 2-1 win away to French side Lille. They entertain PFC Levski Sofia knowing that a win against the Bulgarians will put them in pole position to top Group C.

Sporting's preparations for the game have been completed against the background of the news that they will be without midfielder Pedro Mendes until November after he underwent surgery to repair a knee tendon injury earlier this week.

Levski can also go top with a win after they beat KAA Gent 3-2 in the last round. Ahead of Thursday's fixtures, Gent manager Francky Dury has played down the significance of his side's Europa League meeting with fellow opening round losers Lille.

Sporting vs Levksi Sofia Preview

Gent vs Lille Preview

Group D

Dinamo Zagreb's true standing in the competition will be known on Thursday when they travel to Greece to play PAOK. Zagreb's 2-0 win against Villareal was impressive but translating that type of performance outside of Croatia will be a more trickier task for them.

Coach Vahid Halilhodzic has already warned his players they will have to handle a hostile Greek welcome.

Villarreal on the other hand can look forward to a very winnable home tie against Club Brugge who drew 1-1 with PAOK in their first match. Their manager Juan Carlos Garrido has outlined what he expects from his players by saying: "we need to win because to get through we need to get more than 10 points."

PAOK vs Dinamo Zagreb Preview

Villarreal vs Club Brugge Preview

Group E

AZ Alkmaar got an important three points at home to FC Sheriff in the last round of fixtures. The Dutch outfit have an appalling away record in European matches and midfielder Eric Falkenburg is expecting a tough test against Belarusian champions BATE Borisov.

Meanwhile, it will be a reunion of sorts when Moldovan champions Sheriff host big Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev.

Sheriff coach Andrei Sosnitski has previously gone toe-to-toe with Valeri Gazzaev on the pitch during their playing days in the former Soviet Union.

BATE Borisov vs AZ Alkmaar Preview

FC Sheriff vs Dynamo Kiev Preview

Group F

Palermo manager Delio Rossi has revealed he intends to give Fabrizio Miccoli his comeback against Lausanne in their Europa League Group F encounter. Miccoli is recovering from ankle surgery and is a key make-up of the Palermo attack - his inclusion in the team has been acknowledged by opponents Lausanne.

Sparta Prague, who last beat Palermo 3-2 at home, will be aiming for top spot in Group F when they travel to CSKA Moscow.

Czech defender Erich Brabec has warned his side to be wary of CSKA striker Vagner Love, who has scored over 100 goals in less than 200 games for the Russians.

Palermo vs Lausanne Preview

CSKA Moscow vs Sparta Prague Preview

Group G

Anderlecht defied their good form in the Jupiler League when they lost 3-1 at home to Zenit St Petersburg in their Europa League Group G clash. The result casts doubts over the Belgium outfit's ability to qualify to the next round from the group, especially if they do not get a result on Thursday against Hajduk Split.

Manager Herman van Holsbeeck believes that with a tough double-header against the Greeks AEK Athens coming up, defeat at the Stadion Puljid tomorrow will leave his side with a big mountain to climb to progress.

However, the Greek side have their own problems and are in turmoil following manager Dusan Bajevic resignation from his position at the weekend after AEK's second loss of the season which saw them plummet to 13th in the Greek Super League.

Zenit coach Luciano Spalletti has warned his side not to underestimate the wounded Greeks.

Hajduk Split vs Anderlecht Preview

Zenith vs AEK Athens Preview

Group H

Stuttgart are yet another team who will welcome the distraction of the Europa League after a shocking start to their dometic season. Christian Gross's men are bottom of the Bundesliga on the back of a 4-1 thrashing at home to Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend.

Gross still expects his team to get maximun points from the Europa League Group H away match in Denmark at Odense BK. The Germans started the group well by beating Young Boys 3-0.

Young Boys may be finding it tough going now after their Champions League dreams were ended by Tottenham Hotspur but a home win against Getafe might give them the boost needed to qualify from this group.

Getafe coach Michel has a number of absentees to cope with as his side travel to Switzerland to play Young Boys.

Odense BK vs Stuttgart Preview

Young Boys vs Getafe Preview

Group I

Sampdoria and Debrecen meet in Italy on Thursday with both teams yet to register a win in Group I. A lack of goalscoring has been Samp's main problem, but attacking pair Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini are available to start.

Have the mind games started in Group I? Underdogs Metalist Kharkiv has publicly hailed PSV Eindhoven as Holland's number one team ahead of their clash.

PSV last won the Eredivisie title in 2008, and have finished fourth and third in the campaigns since then.

Sampdoria vs Debrecen Preview

Metalist vs PSV Preview

Group J

The pressure is already on new Sevilla coach Gregorio Manzano as he tries to pick up a side low on confidence for a tough trip to in-form Borussia Dortmund.

Sevilla need a result on Thursday after they lost their opening Group J clash 1-0 to Paris St Germain in the Europa League.

Manzano was quick to warn fans against expecting instant results, saying "I'm not the Wizard of Oz."

Meanwhile, French side PSG will be able to call on midfielder Stephane Sessegnon for the clash with Karpaty Lviv.

Borussia Dortmund vs Sevilla Preview

Paris St Germain vs Kaparty Lviv Preview

Group K

Roy Hodgson believes Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has overcome his injury troubles and is raring to go. He has recalled the Spanish World Cup winner for their Europa League fixture against FC Utrecht, as Liverpool try to get their first win in four matches.

Hodgson was in bullish mood before the game, declaring that the Reds would do their best to win the Europa League following last week's embarrassing Carling Cup exit. Hodgson famously nearly won this same competition when he was manager of Fulham last season.

FC Utrecht coach Ton du Chatinier agreed that Liverpool pose far tougher opposition than the Celtic team they beat to qualify for the group stages of the Europa League.

Napoli travel to Romania to meet Steaua Bucharest who have hired new coach Marius Lacatus.

Lacatus accepted an offer to return to the club for a third spell after Ilie Dumitrescu resigned last week following criticism from the club's supporters.

In the opening round of Group K, Liverpool strolled to a 4-1 win over Steau at Anfield while Napoli and Utrecht played out a goalless draw in Italy.

FC Utrecht vs Liverpool Preview

Steaua Bucharest vs Napoli Preview

Group L

Former holders, Porto hammered Rapid Vienna 3-0 in their opening game in the competition, but there has been a flurry of team news for their next match at CSKA Sofia.

Fredy Guarin, Cristian Rodriguez, James Rodriguez, Christian Sapunaru and Andre Castro will return to the squad, with Ruben Micael absent along with Rafa, Ukra and Fernando.

Turkish club Besiktas play host to a Rapid Vienna side that has struggled since they produced the shock of the final qualification round when they dumped out Aston Villa.

Besiktas are understandably in good spirits ahead of the Austrian visit.

CSKA Sofia vs Porto Preview

Besiktas vs Rapid Vienna Preview

Europa League:Hodgson: No change in priorities

Roy Hodgson insists he places no more significance on the Europa League now than he did before last week's Carling Cup exit.

The loss on penalties to League Two Northampton reduced the Reds' chances of realistically winning a trophy to two, in Europe and the FA Cup, after another disappointing start to the Barclays Premier League.

And while Hodgson admits he has learned lessons from the Carling Cup shock, naming a strong squad to face Utrecht on Thursday in Group K for instance, he stressed winning in any competition was all that mattered.

"Our priorities have been to do the best in every competition," he said.

"Although these days I will be accused on not doing that because people will say the (weakened) team I played against Northampton was not the team to win the game."

Hodgson was asked if victory over the Dutch side, who have not lost at home in four European matches and not conceded in their last three, would give the side an important lift after two defeats and a draw in all competitions.

"There certainly is not the gloom that you would like to suggest," was his response.

"But at the same time I can't say everyone is delighted with the start we have had because we are not.

"We would have liked to have been sitting near the top of the table with 12 or 14 points and we would have been happy as sand-boys.

"That's what we wanted but you don't always get what you want."

Hodgson, who said yesterday he had not decided whether to give striker Fernando Torres his first Europa League start tonight, is looking for the victory which will take his side two-thirds of the way to qualification for the knockout stage.

"We saw Utrecht beat Celtic 4-0 so we are under no illusions that we are playing a very good team and we will have to be very good if we are to get a result from the game," he added.

"Nine or 10 points is probably my guess (of what is required to progress) but don't put any money on it because I'm not very good at predicting these things."

Forward Dirk Kuyt returns to the home of his first professional club and, to date, the only place where he has won a trophy.

The 30-year-old is still hoping to change that during his remaining years at Liverpool after near-misses in the 2007 Champions League final and the Barclays Premier League in 2009.

"My only trophy so far was the cup final here in Holland for Utrecht, against Feyenoord," he said.

"I hope it isn't my last trophy, because I want to win many trophies. "It is a strange feeling that it is my only trophy and I want to put that right."

Ton du Chatinier's Utrecht side reached the Group stages of the competition courtesy of a 4-0 rout of Celtic at Stadion Galgenwaard.

"The motivation of playing Liverpool will be enough," said the coach.

"I am anxious to know what my team will do but that is normal, I'm not afraid."

La Liga:Messi: I'm back and running!

Barcelona ace Lionel Messi has confirmed he has all but recovered from the ankle injury which ruled him out for ten days.

The Argentinean made a comeback after coming on as a second-half substitute in his side's 1-1 draw against Rubin Kazan on Wednesday and emerged unscathed - much to the relief of coach Pep Guardiola and the fans.

Messi revealed to journalists after the match, saying: "I'm extremely content with my ankle. I am happy with it. It has not bothered me and I have not noticed any pain.

"We knew that Rubin would make things very difficult for us. They play well together at the back and they have also scored a penalty against us.

"Perhaps we lacked some fluency in our attack in order to find holes in a defence as tight as theirs."

Meanwhile, fellow striker David Villa, who scored Barcelona's equalizer from the spot, will be out of this weekend's La Liga encounter with Mallorca - paving way for Messi to return to the starting line-up.

Premier League:Park: I'm dissatisfied with myself

Park Ji-Sung admits his performances for Manchester United so far this season hasn't been up to the mark and has vowed to improve.

The South Korean has not featured much in Sir Alex Ferguson's plans this season but was handed a chance to alter that when handed a full 90 minutes in their 1-0 win against Valencia in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Now the 27-year-old is determined to build on that and reproduce some of his impressive form that has endeared himself to the Old Trafford faithful.

"I am not satisfied with my performances this season," Park told journalists.

"I don't know why my performances have not been good. Maybe I was not ready for the season.

"But mentally I have been weak and I have to improve.

"In the first-half last night my performance was bad but at least the second was better.

"It is always difficult to get the balance.

"I missed a couple of games and then played again, although since I joined Manchester United it has been like that so I should know how to deal with it."

With Wayne Rooney ruled out for three weeks due to an ankle injury, Park is adamant his side has enough quality players - including himself - to cope with the talisman's absence.

"Throughout Manchester United's history we always come up with answers to problems," he said.

"Big stars come and go but still the team keep producing the same performances.

"We just concentrate on that to make sure we show our quality on the pitch."

Premier League:Malouda expects tough Gunners test

Chelsea midfielder Florent Malouda expects a tough challenge from Arsenal this Sunday as both sides lock horns at Stamford Bridge.

The reigning champions suffered their first defeat of the season in the 'battle of the cash' against Manchester City last weekend and could hardly have asked for a tougher test when they face-off with another 'top four' side in the form of the Gunners next.

But despite acknowledging the quality of Arsene Wenger's men, the rejuvenated Malouda is confident his side can get back to winning ways in the league this Sunday.

"Everybody knows the passing game of Arsenal," observed the Frenchman.

"They have quality. We have seen many times teams coming here and try to close the game and it depends if you score early in the game but I think that Arsenal have always played the same way with their passing game and technical quality and they try to do the same against everyone.

"Manchester City was a tough opposition and our first defeat. I will speak from our point of view. We must expect a good reaction in front of our fans. We lost against Man City and now we have an opportunity with a home game to get back the winning atmosphere.

"It will be a big challenge for us to win against a team of the 'big four'. Chelsea-Arsenal games are always important because they are just behind us and we want to increase the gap.

"It won't be easy because there are no easy games for Chelsea but now is time to recover and then we have time to think about Arsenal."

Speaking after his side's Champions League victory over Marseille on Tuesday, Malouda is delighted that his side put their back-to-back defeats against Man City and Newcastle behind them.

"I'm happy because we had two defeats before this game and it was great to get back to winning ways," he explained. "We take the lead in the group and now we want to confirm qualification for the next round.

"After seeing the first game of the season people think we are going to score four goals every time. Every game is different.

"We played at a very high intensity in the first half and paid the price in the second half. In the second half we were in control and we hit the post twice so winning was not really a problem."

Europa League:Gent vs Lille Preview

Gent manager Francky Dury has played down the significance of his side's Europa League meeting with Lille.

Both sides lost their opening matches and defeat for either would already leave them adrift of their Group C rivals after just two games.

While Dury admits his side need to get off the mark in their home opener, he does not believe defeat would spell the end of their campaign.

"This is an important meeting, Lille and my team both need a win," he said.

"But after only two games, I do not think we'll be eliminated from the race for qualification if we lose."

Dury also believes his side, who lost 3-2 at Levski Sofia in their opener, will have the "patience to surprise" the visitors who will make the short trip up the E17 for the match.

Lille were comfortable 4-1 winners earlier this month when they made a similarly brief trip to Ligue 1 neighbours Lens, but Dury does not expect his team to be so obliging.

"I saw them score those four goals in Lens," he said.

"The distance from Lille to Lens is almost the same to Gent - but I assure you that we will not concede four goals."

Gent are set to be without Yaya Soumahoro due to a hamstring injury and Yassine El Ghanassy could take his place after returning to training this week.

Lille, who boast teenage Belgian star Eden Hazard, have been in good form this season and are unbeaten in Ligue 1 after holding high-flying Toulouse to a 1-1 draw at the weekend.

In fact, their 2-1 loss to Sporting Lisbon in their Group C opener is their only reverse in league and European action this term.

Lille have never lost to Belgian opposition in European competition, while they have never met Gent in a continental competition.

Champions League:Rubin Kazan 1-1 Barcelona

David Villa netted a second-half penalty to earn Barcelona a point from their trip to Rubin Kazan.

Villa slotted home on the hour-mark to cancel out Cristian Noboa's 30th-minute penalty for Rubin, with both goalkeepers coming agonisingly close to saving the respective spot-kicks.

Barca dominated for large periods but not even the second-half arrival of fit-again Lionel Messi could inspire Pep Guardiola's side to victory, and the visitors almost ended up empty-handed as Rubin substitute Obafemi Martins hit the woodwork late on.

The result leaves Barca on four points from two games on Group D following their 5-1 mauling of Panathinaikos in round one, while Russian outfit Rubin picked up their first point having previously lost to FC Copenhagen.

Rubin proved a problematic opponent for Barca in last season's Champions League, winning 2-1 at the Nou Camp and then holding the 2009 European champions goalless at home, and Kurban Berdyev's side had Guardiola's men on the back foot again tonight after taking a first-half lead.

Barca had bossed the opening stages and hit the crossbar through Pedro Rodriguez before Villa fired just wide, but against the run of play Rubin took the lead.

Victor Valdes' mis-hit clearance gave Vitali Kaleshin the chance to burst into the Barca where he was sent tumbling by Dani Alves as he tried to burst away from the Brazilian and Gerard Pique.

Valdes almost atoned for his part in the incident as he guessed right for Noboa's penalty, but although he managed to get some of his body behind the shot, he could not prevent the Rubin captain from putting his side ahead.

That was a blow to Barca but they had a chance to get back on level terms just before the break when Pedro side-footed another good chance narrowly wide.

Barca had to wait until the 60th minute to even things up, with Andres Iniesta winning a penalty in almost exactly the same place and fashion as Kaleshin had in the first half, Spain's World Cup final hero being brought down by Lasha Salukvadze as he attempted to escape from two defenders.

Villa, like Noboa before him, managed to find the back of the net but not before suffering a scare as the diving Sergei Ryzhikov got a hand to his shot but not enough to keep it out.

The final half-hour was virtually all Barca, with Dani Alves almost capitalising on a terrible back-header only to be denied by Ryzhikov.

The arrival of Messi, who had missed Barca's past two matches with an ankle injury, gave the visitors another attacking threat and the Argentinian drew a good block from Ryzhikov in the 67th minute.

Messi then headed another opportunity over before Barca enjoyed a big let-off in the 86th minute when Rubin came so close to netting on a rare attack.

Martins peeled away from Carles Puyol to get on the end of a deep cross but his powerful downward header from four yards out hit the near post and rebounded to safety.

Even after that though Barca had two great chances of their own to take the spoils, Bojan Krkic heading wide when unmarked before Iniesta curled an injury-time effort over with just Ryzhikov to beat - a miss that left more than one Barca player holding his head as the Spanish champions had to settle for a share of the points.

Europa League:Young Boys vs Getafe Preview

Getafe coach Michel has a number of absentees to cope with as his side travel to Switzerland to play Young Boys.

Michel is without six players through injury for the encounter as Javier Arizmendi, who scored against Odense BK to help Getafe recover from a half-time deficit to win their first group match 2-1, has joined Manu del Moral, Jaime Gavilan, Ibrahim Kas, Javi Casquero and Rafael Lopez on the sidelines.

That meant Michel included four teenagers from the reserve side in his 21-man travelling squad - Adrian Sardinero, Jesus Jimenez, Alex Perez and Adrian Canas - while recent arrival Pablo Pintos has been called up for the first time after recovering from injury.

Despite a number of senior players being unavailable, Getafe full-back Mane has faith the squad will be able to cope.

He said: "Even though a player is missing another comes in and the team has done very well, and if this team is characterised by something, it's the competition that there is, and that is good for the side because we all give 100%.

"We hope that the team continues to respond well, whoever plays."

Getafe are currently 10th in the Primera Division standings after picking up seven points from their opening five games, with their most recent result being a 1-0 away win over Racing Santander.

Young Boys have had a mixed season so far both domestically and in Europe.

In the 10-team Super League last season's runners-up are currently only sixth with 13 points from 10 matches, leaving them seven points adrift of leaders Lucerne having played a game more.

In Europe, Vladimir Petkovic's side squeezed past Fenerbache in the Champions League qualifiers before being knocked out at the play-off stage by Spurs, losing 6-3 on aggregate after leading 3-2 from the first leg.

That put Young Boys into the Europa League, where they lost 3-0 at Stuttgart in their opening match.

Mane added: "We are going there with the intention of winning as always. Maybe Young Boys aren't in their best moment, but I'm sure they will want to shake themselves out of it. We hope that things go well for us."

Europa League:Man City vs Juventus Preview

Juventus veteran Alessandro Del Piero expects a tough test against Manchester City in the Europa League.

Del Piero, 35, has vast experience of playing against English sides over the years and he knows City will be fired up for the clash in front of their own fans at Eastlands.

Speaking ahead of a training session tonight, he said: "Manchester City are in excellent shape and it will be very hard for us. It always is when you are in England.

"They have invested heavily and one of the reasons they can be successful is that they have a great squad of players."

Juventus, like City, are in transition with a new coach in Luigi Del Neri, who was appointed in May, and are struggling to get going in Serie A.

Del Piero said: "We have a good base to build on and are at the beginning of a journey. Hopefully we our results will improve as time goes on."

Juventus face a crunch match against Inter Milan on Sunday but Del Neri is thinking only of their Group A meeting with City.

He said: "I am only interested in tomorrow not the following match. We will see then if we have improved.

"A new team always make mistakes. You not only need to fix the problems but also to focus on what you do well."

City defender Micah Richards could come into contention against Juve after a hamstring injury.

Shaun Wright-Phillips is doubtful with a knee problem while Wayne Bridge and Aleksandar Kolarov remain absent.

City manager Roberto Mancini expects Mario Balotelli to return to the squad at the end of next month

Balotelli is sidelined with a knee injury and the striker said he would be out for eight weeks.

However Mancini revealed: "He is in Italy today and his knee is okay. I think he may be ready at the end of October, in four to five weeks."

Veteran midfielder Patrick Vieira is hoping to claim a place in Mancini's team after saying he was "frustrated" at his lack of game time.

Vieira, 34, arrived in January from Inter Milan following a season with Juventus.

He said: "It has been frustrating. Like everyone else I want to play more often and be more involved. I know how strong the team is, especially in the midfield.

"I want to play more than one game a month. I will get my chance, I know that because the season is really long. I want to show the manager he can count on me.

"Every competition is really important because we all want to play. As City have not won a trophy for years lifting one would be good for the club."

Vieira believes City are becoming a team to fear.

He said: "We have beaten Liverpool and Chelsea who are seen to be part of the big four. That just shows how strong we are. There is still a long way to go but we believe in ourselves.

"We know how good we are. Now we have to win games week in, week out. We have to show it on the pitch."

Europa League:Odense BK vs Stuttgart Preview

Stuttgart boss Christian Gross has urged his side to forget about their Bundesliga woes when they take on Odense BK.

The Germans slipped to the foot of their domestic table on the back of a 4-1 thrashing at home to Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend, their fifth defeat in their opening six league games.

But they have started their European campaign in more impressive fashion and go into tomorrow's game top of Group H thanks to their opening 3-0 win over Young Boys.

"We need to look ahead now and, on Thursday, free our thoughts from the Bundesliga in order to be in the correct mental state for the Europa League," Gross said on Stuttgart's official website.

"Odense is a challenge that we must rise to.

"We have to get back on track as quickly as possible. That is done only step by step, through small successes.

"We will achieve them only through targeted, hard work. We find ourselves in an uncomfortable situation, which we have only ourselves to thank for, but we can't still be devastated now."

Gross has announced his intention to make changes for the game in Denmark, revealing Cristian Molinaro and Stefano Celozzi were likely to start at full-back and midfielder Mamadou Bah, a summer signing from Strasbourg, could make his debut.

Despite his side's poor form, the former Tottenham boss expects three points.

"That is a very important game. We made a good start in the Europa League with the 3-0 win in Bern and we want to maintain our position in the table at all costs. We will need to be compact, determined and avoid conceding any goals. I'm expecting a positive result from my team," said Gross.

Odense were beaten 2-1 at Spanish side Getafe in their group opener.

They go into tomorrow's match having beaten Lyngby 3-1 on Monday to lie fourth in the Danish SAS-Liga after 10 games, already 12 points behind leaders FC Copenhagen.

"Of course they will try to win their home game," added Gross.

"I expect a well-organised team, who will be aggressive. Up front they have quick strikers, who are also good technically.

"At the back they a very solid and have plenty of experience."

Premier League:Deschamps reveals Liverpool offer

Marseille boss Didier Deschamps has revealed Liverpool approached him about replacing Rafael Benitez at Anfield.

The former France captain, whose side face his old team Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday night, made the admission at the pre-match press conference on the eve of the game.

Liverpool eventually appointed Fulham's Roy Hodgson during the close season but Deschamps, who led Marseille to the French title last season, revealed they also approached him.

"I was very proud a club like Liverpool were interested in me," he said. "But the timing was not good.

"I was engaged with Marseille, the players and the fans, and I could not leave them two days before the restart for pre-season. I was extremely pleased and happy but I decided to stay and continue my adventure with Marseille."

Deschamps insists the Reds' interest was firm.

"We had a long discussion," he said.

Champions League:Wenger: My boys are ready for Partizan

Arsene Wenger has backed Lukasz Fabianski and his Arsenal team to rise to the challenge against Partizan Belgarde.

The Gunners were shell-shocked by their home Barclays Premier League defeat to West Brom on Saturday, where they had trailed 3-0, and now must look to get their season back on track with a positive result in one of the most intimidating atmospheres in European football.

Partizan may have come through three rounds of qualifying to reach the group stages, but the Belgrade side are in good form, with five wins from six to top their domestic table.

Wenger, though, maintains lessons have been learned from what was an abject display against the Baggies.

"The disappointment was very deep, but we can learn from what has happened to us," said Wenger.

"We realise that we need to be focused in every single game, produce performances in every single game and that is what I believe we have learnt from Saturday.

"I believe in the intelligence of my group players and I have no doubt in their talents.

"We will be highly motivated and will try to redress what was not right on Saturday."

Manuel Almunia - who made a number of errors - picked up an elbow injury in that game which opens the door for Fabianski on Tuesday, with the Pole looking to take his chance with both hands rather than drop another clanger.

Wenger continued: "For Fabianski, it is another big chance - but you want a goalkeeper or any player to grab the chance when you get it.

"As a manager you can give a chance to a player who is good enough and I believe in his talent.

"He gets another opportunity to show how good he is. I want him to show how good he is.

"There is only one way to show confidence in a player and that is to put him on the pitch and give him his chance."

Stadion FK Partizan will be at boiling point come kick-off on Tuesday night, as 'The Gravediggers' look to extend Arsenal's record of failing to win away in the Champions League since last September.

The Serbians, though, have something of a chequered history of crowd trouble and were thrown out of the 2007/08 UEFA Cup for clashes in a qualifying tie against Zrinjski Mostar - while in September last year, a Toulouse fan died in hospital after being injured following violence in a bar ahead of the two sides' Europa League tie.

Indeed, Partizan went as far as issuing a plea for calm on their own website, declaring "this is our chance to wipe out ugly traces of the recent past and we shouldn't miss this opportunity."

Wenger, though, is confident the game can pass without incident.

"We are always inside the stadium, so I do not know what is happening outside, I leave that to UEFA and to the Serbian authorities. I am sure they will do that very well," he said.

"Serbia is a traditional football country, which has produced many fantastic players.

"They know sport, they know football and I believe it will be very passionate because they are very passionate football people."

Partizan will be led by Brazil-born striker Cleo, who scored eight of his 11 goals this season in that qualifying competition and has recently been granted Serbian citizenship so he can play in the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

Although they lost the first Group H fixture 1-0 at Shakhtar Donetsk, Wenger maintains his team will face a stern test of their own European credentials on Tuesday night.

"What I expect is for Partizan to play a highly passionate game and to try to catch us on the break," he said.

"They have the traditional strengths of Serbian teams - they are intelligent, with a good technique and in the final third, if you give them room they are always dangerous."

The Arsenal boss concluded: "Overall what I believe is the most dangerous for us is that they win the duels, play at a high pace and we are not prepared for that.

"I believe the collective drive that they have going forward could be dangerous for us."

Champions League:"Lampard needs more time to recover"

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Frank Lampard will miss their Champions League clash against Marseille.

Lampard will be absent from England's clash against Montenegro at Wembley next month after Ancelotti insisted that the player needs more time to recover from hernia surgery.

The 32-year-old midfielder, who will also miss Sunday's Premier League encounter with Arsenal, has now been absent for a month and Ancelotti maintained that he would not be in contention for a return to action until after the international break.

"Frank cannot play tomorrow," said Ancelotti.

"We need to have more time than we expected for his rest. He will be ready for the next game after the international break.

"He has not played for us so he will not be able to play for the national team."

Chelsea suffered their first defeat of the season against Manchester City thanks to a Carlos Tevez winner at Eastlands on Saturday lunchtime but Ancelotti remains largely unconcerned.

Luckily, results elsewhere in the Barclays Premier League worked in Chelsea's favour as the Blues still have a three-point lead at the top of the table.

"I was surprised by the result of Arsenal, they lost against West Brom at home," conceded Ancelotti.

"It was a strange result. I said before Saturday that it would be very difficult to be unbeaten during the season because it is very competitive here.

"So for this reason, we are not so upset to lose our unbeaten record, but we have to look forward. It will not be the last time we lose a game.

"I don't ask my players for a reaction. We have to play our football and pay attention. Marseille will look to get three points from this game because they lost the first one.

"Marseille are a good team. They play attacking football and they are quick.

"My players will know everything about our opponents but the main thing is our own game. We have to stay in focus. If we play at our best, we can win."

Even though Chelsea are without the services of Lampard, Salomon Kalou, Yossi Benayoun and the suspended Didier Drogba, Ancelotti insists the squad is capable of coping with such losses against Didier Deschamps' side.

"I think I have a lot of options," he added. "We have to consider Daniel Sturridge and Gael Kakuta, it is normal during a season to have two or three injuries, this is not a problem.

"Experience is a good thing to have as a squad. Young players need to have experience. Once they play, the experience will come.

"We have a good mix in the squad with young players that are improving and players with experience. They have experience enough to play fantastic games."

Meanwhile, Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel insists the Blues are coping without the talismanic figure of Lampard.

"Frank is an important player for this team, we all know that," said Mikel.

"He has shown his consistency over the years but right now he is injured.

"It is a massive loss for the team but we are coping well without him. We have lost one game without him. We have also scored a lot of goals but we can't wait to have him back.

"The Manchester City game was the first we have lost, we have played well and scored a lot of goals.

"We lost a game but I don't think it is the end of the season. In this team, once we lose a game we try to come back and do things we didn't do in the previous one.

"We want to go out there tomorrow and give a good performance and score some goals. We want to get maximum points."

Premier League:Rooney will not play against Valencia

Manchester United have announced that Wayne Rooney will miss their Champions League clash with Valencia.

Sir Alex Ferguson has told club officials the 24-year-old will not be fit enough to make the trip after being withdrawn with an ankle injury against Bolton on Sunday.

There has been no indication whether Rooney's absence will be any longer, which would threaten his participation in Saturday's Barclays Premier League encounter with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, plus England's Euro 2012 qualifier with Montenegro on October 12.

While Ferguson's assistant Mike Phelan revealed Rooney is still struggling with a niggling ankle injury, some may feel it is a good time for Rooney to have a break.

On ESPN on Sunday, Kevin Keegan voiced his concern for the striker, who has scored only one goal for United this season, and that came from the penalty spot.

Although the furore over his private life has hardly helped, Rooney was so ineffective against Bolton that purely on form grounds Ferguson might have looked at a combination of Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen against Valencia anyway.

Now Rooney can have a couple of days away from the glare of publicity and try to get himself into the right frame of mind for when he next plays.

Meanwhile, skipper Nemanja Vidic has told his team-mates to cut out the defensive lapses that are wrecking their Premier League title campaign.

Defeats for Chelsea and Arsenal on Saturday should have been the start of a perfect weekend for United, who would have moved to within a point of Carlo Ancelotti's men if they had beaten Bolton.

Instead, the problems which are proving so difficult to eradicate reared their heads again.

A combination of slack marking by Jonny Evans and Patrice Evra moving away from the post he was supposed to be defending allowed Zat Knight to put Bolton ahead.

Then, after Nani had scored a brilliant equaliser, the visitors offered Martin Petrov far too much room to exhibit his talents as he cut inside Park Ji-sung to drive a second goal beyond Edwin van der Sar.

In the end, United were lucky to have the chance of settling for a point as Johan Elmander blasted a brilliant opportunity over the crossbar which surely would have given Bolton victory.

Owen's third goal in a week ensured United did not make the short journey back down the M61 empty-handed, but the brutal truth is that they have now conceded nine goals in five Premier League games.

Even basement boys Everton have done better than that, while Ferguson's men are still to record an away win in three attempts.

"It is a big concern that we are conceding so many away goals," said Vidic.

"We have to stop doing it. We cannot let it happen again."

It hardly seems believable that the same defenders responsible for the present malaise should concede just 22 and 24 goals respectively during the entire Premier League title-winning campaigns of 2008 and 2009.

Rio Ferdinand's absence is clearly not helping but the England skipper was also missing when United went 14 games without conceding a goal during the mid-winter of the 2008-09 campaign that also included a trip to Japan for the Club World Cup.

As the man who now wears the captain's armband, Vidic feels the responsibility more than most.

"Over the last few years we haven't given that many goals away or even allowed them so many chances," he said.

"Before we have always looked strong, so this is not what we are used to.

"We have to play much better in our away games."

Premier League:Neville: Let Bebe settle in at United

Manchester United stalwart Gary Neville hopes that the furore surrounding Bebe's arrival will end so he can settle in.

The Portuguese winger was a virtual unknown before United splashed out £7million to bring him to Old Trafford back in August.

Bebe has been restricted to just one substitute outing in the Carling Cup so far, offering supporters little opportunity to judge the new recruit.

However, he is believed to be a hot prospect for the future, with Sir Alex Ferguson having made a habit of unearthing hidden gems down the years.

With that in mind, veteran full-back Neville is keen to see Bebe given the time and space he needs in which to realise his potential.

"It was good to see Bebe get his first taste of first-team action," he said.

"United have signed lots of youngsters in recent years - (Cristiano) Ronaldo, (Federico) Macheda, the da Silvas - so I don't understand the fuss about Bebe. It's a bit unfair on him.

"He has a lot of raw talent, two great feet, he's extremely quick and he's learning all the time."

Premier League:Vidic grows frustrated with defence

Nemanja Vidic has told his Manchester United team-mates to cut out the defensive lapses or face a barren season.

Defeats for Chelsea and Arsenal on Saturday should have been the start of a perfect weekend for United, who would have moved to within a point of Carlo Ancelotti's men if they had beaten Bolton at the Reebok Stadium.

Instead, the problems which are proving so difficult to eradicate reared their heads again.

A combination of slack marking by Jonny Evans and Patrice Evra moving away from the post he was supposed to be defending allowed Zat Knight to put Bolton ahead.

Then, after Nani had scored a brilliant equaliser, the visitors offered Martin Petrov far too much room to exhibit his talents as he cut inside Park Ji-sung to drive a second goal beyond Edwin van der Sar.

In the end, United were lucky to have the chance of settling for a point given Johan Elmander blasted a brilliant opportunity over the bar which surely would have given Bolton victory.

Yet, while Michael Owen's third goal in a week ensured United did not make the short journey back down the M61 empty-handed, the brutal truth is that they have now conceded nine goals in five Premier League games.

Even basement boys Everton have done better than that, while Sir Alex Ferguson's men are still to record an away win in three attempts.

"It is a big concern that we are conceding so many away goals," said Vidic.

"We have to stop doing it. We cannot let it happen again."

It hardly seems believable that the same defenders responsible for the present malaise should concede just 22 and 24 goals respectively during the entire Premier League title-winning campaigns of 2008 and 2009.

Rio Ferdinand's absence is clearly not helping but the England skipper was also missing when United went 14 games without conceding a goal during the mid-winter of the 2008-09 campaign that also included a trip to Japan for the Club World Cup.

As the man who now wears the captain's armband, Vidic feels the responsibility more than most.

"Over the last few years we haven't given that many goals away or even allowed them so many chances," he said.

"Before we have always looked strong, so this is not what we are used to.

"We have to play much better in our away games."

As United go to Valencia on Wednesday needing to breathe fresh life into their Champions League campaign before visiting Sunderland on Saturday, the need for improvement is immediate.

Ferdinand is expected to be back for the Spain trip, which Ferguson felt was sufficiently important to miss last week's Carling Cup tie against Scunthorpe in order to go on a spying mission.

With three successive goalless draws in Spain to look back on, including the 2008 semi-final against Barcelona, United do have memories of defensive solidity to fall back on, even if it goes against Ferguson's belief that victory is essential.

In addition to getting things right at the back, Ferguson must also decide what to do with Wayne Rooney.

The United boss may not have taken too kindly to Kevin Keegan's comments but they were given with the benefit of having been the marquee player of his era.

Few can understand the pressures Rooney has to operate under. However, as a former England captain and manager, Keegan has more of an idea than most.

The problem for Ferguson is a balance between keeping faith with a player who was so outstanding last season and getting the most from a team for whom Rooney is current third on the list of in-form strikers, behind Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen.

Antonio Valencia's long-term injury and a rather shorter two-week absence for Ryan Giggs also deny Ferguson the option of using Rooney as a lone striker flanked by two quick wingers, as he did so effectively last term.

Given Ferguson's assistant Mike Phelan revealed Rooney was still troubled by an ankle complaint, there must be an argument for giving the 24-year-old a complete break to give his body and mind a chance to recover from the physical and emotional trauma he has been through recently.

Premier League:Mancini backs Chelsea for the title

Ahead of Chelsea's trip to Eastlands on Saturday, Roberto Mancini has already conceded the Premier League title to the London side.

After spending more than £100million on new players this summer, it was felt Manchester City would be able to provide some sort of challenge for the championship, even if they eventually fell short.

Yet, after seeing his team fall seven points adrift of Carlo Ancelotti's men, and then have his squad decimated by injury, Mancini has apparently thrown in the towel, not just for his own club, but the rest of the league as well.

"Chelsea are probably going to win the Premier League title easily," he said.

"They are the best team in the Premier League at the moment.

"They are a strong team, who have been playing together for many years, with a fantastic manager.

"They have worked to reach this situation."

It is quite possible Mancini did not quite mean his words to come out the way he did.

Nevertheless, it is quite baffling just five matches in to the season and on the eve of Chelsea's visit to defend their 100% record.

Yet it seems Mancini does feel City are years behind Chelsea at present, even if they are making ground up fast.

"We must work hard to be their equals," he said.

"We can be a strong club in one or two years. But we must improve, month after month, year after year."

The City faithful might not be impressed by such talk. In midweek the Blues crashed out of the Carling Cup, a competition that many felt was the easiest way of ending a trophy drought that dates back to 1976.

"With the problems at this moment we couldn't play in four competitions," said Mancini.

Given the squad building they have undergone in the last couple of years, few will shed any tears at Mancini's complaints at being short of so many players.

Yet when he was assiduously piecing together his squad this summer, he did so on the basis he was buying for the future, as well as the present, believing the day would come when City could hold their heads up alongside Chelsea as one of the Premier League's top dogs.

"We have got strong players but we have also got young players," he said.

"We have one of the youngest squads in the Premier League.

"David Silva and Yaya Toure played in the Champions League for many years, Mario Balotelli won it with Inter, Aleksandar Kolarov and Jerome Boateng are international players.

"We have bought strong players. When they play together we can change everything."

However, Kolarov and Balotelli are out with long-term injuries after playing just one match. Boateng has not even managed that yet after aggravating a knee injury in a collision with an in-flight trolley.

Boateng has finally managed to get a full week's training under his belt but is badly lacking match practice.

Yet such is Mancini's desperate need for defenders, down to just three fit ones at the last count, he is among the options to fill the left-back role, along with the equally rusty Joleon Lescott, youngster Dedryck Boyata, James Milner and Gareth Barry.

"Joleon has worked with us for one day. He is not ready to play 90 minutes," said Mancini.

"Jerome has been working with us for one week. He is not ready to play 100%.

"I do not know what I am going to do just yet. I will speak with Joleon and Jerome, but if they are not available I am not sure. Maybe Boyata, but I am not sure."

Emmanuel Adebayor should be fit enough to make the bench after a recent spell on the sidelines with a dead leg.

However, with Shaun Wright-Phillips joining Aleksandar Kolarov and Mario Balotelli on the sidelines with a knee injury, Mancini cannot believe his squad has so rapidly been torn apart.

"I am disappointed we have all these injuries at the moment," he said.

"I only have 11 players who are 100% fit."

Premier League:Berbatov: Fee has been a burden

Dimitar Berbatov has said the club record £30.75million price tag has, at times, weighed him down at Manchester United.

After two mixed seasons at Old Trafford, which saw Berbatov show glimpses of the genius Sir Alex Ferguson referred to in his programme notes ahead of last weekend's encounter with Liverpool, too often the major assessment of the 29-year-old has been one of unfulfilled talent.

Fans accused Berbatov of being too lazy and not contributing to the dynamism of a team that has been built around pace and energy.

It certainly would not have come as any real surprise had Berbatov been unloaded in the summer, nor a lack of regret from the vast majority of United fans.

However, after a long wait, Berbatov is finally showing why Ferguson wanted him so badly.

Seven goals already this season have sent him soaring to the top of the Premier League scoring charts, while his match-winning hat-trick against Liverpool last weekend - the first by a United player in the fixture since 1946 - earned him a special place in Red Devils folklore and included a magnificent overhead kick that could easily win the goal of the season prize.

For Berbatov, it could go down as the day he was finally freed from his shackles.

A quiet, thoughtful person, Berbatov's life revolves around his family.

But, in an exclusive interview with MUTV, the former Tottenham man went some way to lifting the veil of secrecy that surrounds him.

"I suppose I am a strange guy but I am shy and maybe some people don't realise that," he said.

"I have a difficulty letting someone else into my inner circle.

"I tried not to think about it (the fee) but sometimes you just can't help it.

"You start thinking, 'That's a lot of money, what is going to happen if I don't prove good enough or I don't score enough goals?'.

"It was always going through my mind and sometimes it can be bad for your concentration and your skills because it distracts you from the main goal.

"In the end I just have to relax and play. I am playing for the biggest club in the world and that's it - nobody can say anything else."

Ferguson hinted at such introspection a couple of weeks ago when he revealed he asked Berbatov to ignore what his critics were saying.

Some find such commands easier to follow than others.

Berbatov has always been viewed as being a little different, if not quite Cantona-esque, then definitely leaning towards the maverick.

For instance, when Cristiano Ronaldo famously declared he wanted to "get back to his hotel room and watch it again on DVD" he was referring to his 40-yard wonder strike against FC Porto.

Berbatov took equal pleasure in the pivot past James Collins to set up Ronaldo's tap-in against West Ham in the same season.

"I watched it at home and rewound it in my head," he revealed.

"I was the luckiest guy in the world doing that. It gave me pleasure."

That is Berbatov's take on the game that supplies him with so much wealth.

As with Cantona, it is an art from, the pitch a place for expression.

"I am a striker. People expect me to score many goals," he said.

"But sometimes the difficult pass, the pass no-one else can see, when you make it happen, it is more important than scoring the goal.

"It gives you a bigger feeling.

"I have always like to play with the ball.

"You have some strikers who wait for one chance in the whole of the game. I am not like this. Obviously there are games when you stand around doing nothing all game and in the end, the ball hits your knee and goes in the net.

"But that doesn't make me feel happy. I need to feel the ball at my feet.

"I need to organise things and make things happen. That is what makes me feel like a player.

"There is a difference between a football player and a goalscorer. For me it is the whole package."

Premier League:Redknapp: Wenger is now a nutter

Tottenham's Harry Redknapp says that the pressures of English football have turned Arsene Wenger into a "nutter" on the touchline.

Wenger was found guilty of improper conduct and fined £8,000 by the Football Association for confronting fourth official Martin Atkinson after Arsenal's 1-1 draw against Sunderland last weekend.

The Gunners boss was fuming at officials after they permitted play to exceed the allotted four minutes of added time, allowing Darren Bent to grab Sunderland's equaliser and bring Arsenal's four-match winning streak to a halt.

The sight of a frustrated Wenger prodding officials on the touchline is in complete contrast to the cool, calm and reserved image which the Frenchman cast when he arrived in England from Japan to replace Bruce Rioch 14 years ago.

Wenger has had has run-ins with the FA before. Last season he was sent to the stands during Arsenal's match at Old Trafford and he was involved in a touchline spat with then West Ham manager Alan Pardew in 2006.

Redknapp, who maintains he has a good relationship with his north London counterpart, believes that the intensity of the English game has caused the Wenger to change.

"When Arsene first came to England I remember reading articles and they said that he was like a professor watching the game," Redknapp said.

"All the other nutters were jumping up and down shouting and screaming, hollering and hooting - and this man is not like those idiots. He just sits there and is studying every move that goes on on the pitch like chess. They didn't lose a game all season.

"Now he has joined the nutters, you know! In fact, he is one of the key nutters! That is the tension that you are under. It has affected him now."

Redknapp continued: "He is no longer sitting there now. He is up there arguing with everybody and gets into it all.

"I think he has changed. He was the quietest man of the lot at one point.

"I don't have any problems with him at all, he's always been good. Sometimes I go into his office at Arsenal."

Redknapp takes Spurs to West Ham on Saturday as he looks to pick up another three points for his resurgent side.

West Ham and Tottenham came to blows this summer over the future of Hammers vice-captain Scott Parker, who was subject of a rejected £7million bid from the north London outfit.

Hammers co-owner David Sullivan accused Spurs of unsettling Parker with the bid before the midfielder signed a new four-year contract this summer.

Redknapp believes his former club also contacted his midfielder, Jamie O'Hara, about a move to Upton Park.

Redknapp claimed: "They were talking to Jamie O'Hara all through the summer. Jamie told me he'd been getting phone calls all summer."

If true, the allegations would break Premier League rule K3, which states that the buying party in a transfer must contact the player's club before speaking to him directly.

Redknapp has called for the scrapping of the rule, insisting that "tapping up" players is widespread within the game.

"Listen, it ("tapping up") happens in the game," Redknapp affirmed.

"We're all kidding ourselves if we think it doesn't go on in the game. Every player that gets transferred, someone's ringing him.

"It doesn't just suddenly happen. An agent will speak to an agent for a player. He will speak to the player. The player says 'yeah, I'd like to go to that club' and that's how it happens.

"If people don't think it happens at almost 99% of transfers then they are in the wrong world."

West Ham were unavailable to respond to the allegations this evening.

Redknapp made more than 170 appearances for West Ham before embarking on a successful spell as manager between 1994 and 2001.

He admits that memories of Upton Park, and in particular the pie and mash shops which surround the ground, hold a firm place in his heart.

Redknapp beams when reminiscing about Cassetari's, the infamous cafe where former manager Malcolm Allison used to take his players to discuss tactics in the late 1950s.

"Cassetari's was the place where we all grew up," Redknapp recalls. "That was where I think we all probably learnt about football.

"After training all the players, the senior players would go there, Malcolm Allison, John Bond, all those people, and Bobby Moore.

"And they'd sit there and Malcolm Allison, Noel Cantwell, would probably hold court. And all us young kids would sit over and we'd listen to them talking and moving pepper pots around and Malcolm would be talking about formations. That's how you used to spend the afternoons, in Cassetari's cafe."

Premier League:Gerrard: Winning ways start now

Steven Gerrard feels Liverpool can put their poor start to the season behind them by winning their next two league matches.

The midweek Carling Cup exit to League Two Northampton, albeit with an understrength team, has contributed to the despondency which appears to be enveloping the club from the outside.

Liverpool are currently 16th in the table having beaten only West Brom in their opening five matches, yet Gerrard said: "I'm not one for being negative - I always look at the bigger picture.

"We've got two winnable games at home (against Sunderland and Blackpool) and if we can take six points from them I'm sure the league will look a lot brighter."

Meanwhile former Reds left-back Alan Kennedy believes an assessment of the team's progress under new manager Roy Hodgson should not take place until Christmas.

Kennedy, who played more than 200 times for the Anfield club between 1978 and 1985, told BBC Radio Five Live: "Liverpool have given away some crazy goals and questions can be asked about certain players.

"But they have got to get on with it now. They've got to take each game as it comes and then it will be a case of judging about Christmas-time or maybe later to see if they are going to finish in the top four or five, or out of it.

"People should get off Roy Hodgson's back. Hopefully they can get some results together and start picking up some points."

Premier League:"We must live with protests!"

A sit-in protest planned by Liverpool fans is just something else for the club to deal with, said Roy Hodgson.

With the Americans' loan from the Royal Bank of Scotland due for refinancing or repayment next month and no sign of an imminent sale supporters are stepping up their campaign to oust the unpopular pair.

The latest plan is to get the crowd at Saturday's game against Sunderland to remain behind to demonstrate peacefully after the final whistle.

"I, like anyone at Liverpool Football Club, would be very happy if the ownership situation got clarified, and in particular if we got a very good owner that can help us move forward," said Hodgson.

"It (the protest) doesn't help but is something I've had to live with since I came to the club.

"It is a major issue for a group of people who are very much anti the owners and the current people who are trying to solve the situation.

"It is often the case that when things are conspiring against you there is always an extra thing to come in and make it that little bit worse.

"It tests our mettle, our desire and strength. I am very confident the strength of this club, the strength of the playing staff and the people around me is more than enough for the club to come through this period.

"But while you are in that period it is unpleasant."

A statement from the Liverpool Supporters' Union and Spirit of Shankly group said: "We have given time to those in charge and listened to more empty promises.

"Now we are demanding results, and action will continue for as long as the situation remains unacceptable to us as fans of Liverpool Football Club"

La Liga:Barca relief with Messi recovery

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi stepped up his recovery from an ankle injury by undertaking an individual training programme.

The 23-year-old Argentinian was carried off on a stretcher on Sunday following a late challenge by Tomas Ujfalusi in the 2-1 win at the Vicente Calderon - an incident which saw the Atletico defender sent off.

"Lionel Messi's road to recovery took a step forward on Friday as he strolled onto the training pitch for the first time to work on his individual programme," read a statement today on club website www.fcbarcelona.cat.

"He has moved up a gear and moved outside along with a coach and worked away from the rest of the first-team squad as he battles to regain full fitness."

Initial tests revealed ligament damage to Messi's right ankle but no break, and that was confirmed on Monday after the World Player of the Year underwent an MRI scan at the Hospital de Barcelona.

Barca said he would be out for at least two matches - the midweek game against Sporting Gijon and tomorrow's trip to Athletic Bilbao - and it would then depend on how his injury improves as to when he will be available to coach Pep Guardiola.

Despite the injury, Messi was yesterday included in a 25-man Argentina squad named by Sergio Batista to play Japan in Saitama on October 5.

Premier League:Fab boost for Arsenal title hopes

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas is confident he will be fit to face leaders Chelsea on October 3.

The Spanish midfielder suffered a hamstring injury which forced him out of the early stages of Saturday's 1-1 draw at Sunderland, after he had given his side the lead.

Fabregas was expected to be sidelined for up to three weeks, which would have seen him miss the trip to Stamford Bridge, but he now believes he will be back for the clash.

He told Spanish radio station COPE: "The injury is not as bad as we first thought.

"There is no muscle rupture and I will be back perfect in about 10 to 11 days.

"I am working with an osteopath in Paris and just working day to day.

"I think I will make the Chelsea game."

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was pleased with the prognosis, saying: "I hope that he will be ready for the Chelsea match and that he will be fine.

"But at the moment we don't know, it's too early."

With England defender Kieran Gibbs having joined Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner on the sidelines after picking up a foot injury in the midweek Carling Cup win at Tottenham, the news of Fabregas' potential quick return is a timely boost.

Fabregas had been in superb form prior to his injury despite having to endure a summer of transfer speculation over his future following Barcelona's concerted efforts to secure his signature.

Having spent the fledgling stages of his career at Camp Nou before joining Arsenal as a gifted 16-year-old, there were suggestions that any future switch to Barca's bitter rivals Real Madrid would not be on the agenda.

But Fabregas, who remains fully committed to the Emirates Stadium cause, has refused to rule out the possibility of featuring for Los Blancos at some stage in his future career.

He added: "I have never said that I did not want to play for Real Madrid. For me they are a big club and I always consider other objectives."

Mexes could face disciplinary action

Roma defender Philippe Mexes could face a lengthy ban after a confrontation with a linesman against Brescia.

The 28-year-old Frenchman lost his composure and had to be restrained by his team-mates as he clashed with referee's assistant Nicola Ayroldi following his red card.

"I hear that a long ban could fall to Mexes but it's not fair," said Roma sporting director Daniele Prade.

"It was the referee that made our player lose his mind."

Brescia were controversially awarded a spot-kick in the 64th minute after Mexes brought down Eder.

Television pictures appeared to show the foul took place just outside the area, but the hosts were given a penalty and Mexes was shown a second yellow card.

Fans showed their support to the player this morning with banners outside Roma's training ground reading 'Mexes our hero'.

Roma have claimed just two points in four Serie A games and host Inter Milan on Saturday searching for their first win of the campaign.