Davies gets shock England call

Bolton striker Kevin Davies has been picked by England, a week after he admitted he has given up on representing his country.

Fabio Capello's squad for the Euro 2012 qualifier with Montenegro at Wembley next Tuesday is littered with surprises, and includes recalls for Joe Cole, Robert Green, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Aaron Lennon.

But it is the inclusion of 33-year-old Davies that will raise the biggest eyebrow as England look to maintain their 100% start to Group G.

Ahead of Bolton's Premier League draw with Manchester United last weekend, Davies spoke of his unfulfilled international ambitions.

"I was in the expanded squad a couple of times but even when a few players pulled out and I thought I had a chance, someone else got called up," he told ESPN.

Little did he know at the time that Capello was looking at him closely once more.

And, while Wayne Rooney has been given the green light to join up with the squad, with Bobby Zamora and Gabriel Agbonlahor ruled out through injury and Andy Carroll bypassed after a recent dip in form at Newcastle, Davies has shot ahead in the queue.

Whether a player who has served Bolton so loyally for seven full seasons after failing to make an impression at Blackburn and in his second spell at Southampton actually gets to make an appearance remains to be seen.

Only on Monday morning, quotes have been released by the FA confirming the Italian's belief that Darren Bent could be a pivotal player in the future, while Peter Crouch - also named in the squad - went to the World Cup.

Indeed, counting Ferdinand, 14 members of Capello's World Cup squad are named, including Cole and Lennon, who have not been selected since.

Cole has endured a far from smooth ride since his arrival at Liverpool from Chelsea, and his dismissal on his Premier League debut against Arsenal in August and the suspension that followed were probably contributing factors in his missing the qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland.

Both of those matches were won, with Phil Jagielka contributing towering central defensive performances in the absence of Ferdinand and Terry.

As Jagielka keeps his place, Capello faces a tricky selection dilemma when he names his starting line-up.

The same could also be said of the captaincy given the mature manner in which Steven Gerrard handled the fall-out from Rooney's off-field problems last month.

In addition, Ferdinand has been overlooked for the honour at Manchester United by Sir Alex Ferguson due to his questionable fitness record.

For Green, it will be a relief to be back, and a chance to show he can recover from the nightmare handling error against the United States in Rustenburg that set the tone for England's dismal campaign.

Spurs fans would regard the introduction of Tom Huddlestone as long overdue given the injection of youth into Capello's squad.

With James Milner suspended, Arsenal's Jack Wilshere gets a call, although he will only report for duty after England's European Under-21 Championship play-off first leg against Romania in Norwich on Friday.

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The England squad for the European Championship qualifier against Montenegro October 12:

Goalkeepers: Ben Foster (Birmingham City), Robert Green (West Ham United), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Defenders: Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)

Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Joe Cole (Liverpool), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Strikers: Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Kevin Davies (Bolton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

La Liga:Spanish La Liga Weekend Review

Real Mallorca held Barcelona to a shock 1-1 draw at Camp Nou on Sunday evening.

Emilio Nsue headed a shock equaliser to sting Barca as Pep Guardiola's fell three points behind Primera Division leaders Valencia.

Lionel Messi gave Barcelona the lead after 20 minutes on his first league start since injuring an ankle in the 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid two weeks ago.

But young striker Nsue levelled for the islanders shortly before half-time and the home side could not find a way through in the second period.

Villarreal continued their excellent start to the season by beating Racing Santander 2-0 on Sunday to stay second.

The Yellow Submarine had been aiming to go top of the table for the first time in their history, but those hopes were scuppered on Saturday as leaders Valencia beat Athletic Bilbao to hold on to first place.

Nevertheless, a win to keep them within a point of their regional rivals never looked in doubt after the home side scored twice within 13 minutes.

Nilmar opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the season after eight minutes and Giuseppe Rossi doubled the hosts' lead five minutes later.

New boss Gregorio Manzano enjoyed his first home match in charge as Sevilla jumped above Atletico Madrid with a 3-1 victory.

Goals from Alvaro Negredo and Diego Perotti gave Sevilla a two-goal half-time lead, to which Frederic Kanoute added early in the second half.

Diego Costa pulled one back for Atletico, but Quique Sanchez Flores' team could not find another goal to make it a close finish.

Getafe picked up their third league victory of the season after comfortably seeing off promoted Hercules 3-0 at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

First-half goals from Dani Parejo and Manu del Moral set Getafe on their way and substitute Miku added a third late on to seal a convincing win for Michel's side, who also hit the woodwork twice.

Hercules, who have caused two huge upsets this season with wins over Barcelona and Sevilla, could have no complaints about the result and a disappointing afternoon for them was complete when they had Abel Aguilar sent off in the 89th minute.

Levante came away from Osasuna with a barely deserved 1-1 draw after being outclassed by their hosts for much of the encounter at Estadio Reyno de Navarra.

After spurning a glut of chances, Osasuna finally went ahead through Walter Pandiani 18 minutes from time only for Levante to level through Sergio Gonzalez seven minutes later with their first shot on target.

Juanfran might have snatched all the points for the hosts late on but Levante goalkeeper Manuel Reina, as he did for much of the afternoon, stood up to the chance.

Kalu Uche's missed penalty proved crucial as Almeria were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Malaga.

Malaga, who entered the game with two wins from two on the road, had seen Pereira Eliseu sent off in the 40th minute for violent conduct after he reacted to a heavy challenge by Juanma Ortiz.

But the visitors made light of their numerical disadvantage to take the lead through Quincy Owusu-Abeyie four minutes after the interval.

Uche then had a chance to level matters but Ruben Martinez saved his penalty, although the striker did go on to grab his side's equaliser with 14 minutes remaining.

On Saturday night Valencia beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 after a dramatic conclusion at the Mestalla.

Aritz Aduriz headed them in front inside 11 minutes after being set up at close range by Roberto Soldado.

A quick break by Alejandro Dominguez set up the second in injury time for Vicente - but the scoring was not finished as Igor Gabilondo fired home a free-kick with his left foot to halve the deficit.

Florent Sinama Pongolle grabbed a quickfire double to help 10-man Real Zaragoza pull of an unlikely comeback and claim a 2-2 draw against Sporting Gijon.

The home side, who were bottom of La Liga heading into this game, looked down and out when an Ivan Obradovic own goal and a penalty from Diego Castro put them two goals down.

They were also down to 10 men after Jiri Jarosik was dismissed for giving away the spot-kick but Sinama Pongolle struck twice in four minutes to earn a share of the spoils.

Real Sociedad ended a three-match losing streak by seeing off Espanyol thanks to a late own goal from visiting defender Juan Forlin at the Anoeta.

An evenly-matched encounter looked destined to finish in a draw until Forlin inadvertently put the ball into his own net as he acrobatically tried to clear the danger after Jeffrey Sarpong's free-kick had come back off the woodwork.

That was in the 86th minute and proved to be the winner, although Sociedad were indebted to goalkeeper Claudio Bravo for keeping their lead intact after he produced two brilliant saves in stoppage time - leaving Espanyol still without any points or goals away from home.

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Saturday Results

Valencia 2-1 Athletic Bilbao

Real Sociedad 1-0 Espanyol

Zaragoza 2-2 Sporting Gijon

Sunday Results

Barcelona 1 - 1 Mallorca

Real Madrid 6-1 Deportivo La Coruna

Villarreal 2-0 Racing Santander

Sevilla 3-1 Atletico Madrid

Osasuna 1-1 Levante

Getafe 3-0 Hercules

Almeria 1-1 Malaga

Italian Serie A Weekend Review

Lazio moved to the top of the Serie A table - for the time being at least - with a narrow 1-0 win over 10-man Brescia on Sunday.

Stefano Mauri's solitary goal on the stroke of half-time was the difference between the two sides at the Stadio Olimpico.

Brescia's task grew harder when Alessandro Diamanti was sent off after 74 minutes for two yellow cards.

The win, Lazio's fourth of the campaign, has lifted the Romans two points clear of AC Milan and three points above Inter Milan, who host Juventus later tonight.

High-flying Chievo were left frustrated after being held to a goalless draw by Cagliari at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.

The Flying Donkeys went into the game lying third in Serie A, but they missed out on the chance to record a fourth win of the season due to their profligacy in front of goal.

Kevin Constant, Sergio Pellissier and Pablo Granoche wasted their best opportunities but the result should at least provide some respite for Cagliari coach Pierpaolo Bisoli, who has been criticised by sections of the club's support.

Fiorentina's frailties returned to haunt them as they slumped to a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Palermo.

La Viola's win over Parma last week was their first in Serie A this season and eased the pressure on coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, but they failed to build on that result as first-half strikes from Josip Ilicic and Javier Pastore sealed the points for Palermo.

Alberto Gilardino pulled one back for the hosts after the break and Mihajlovic's men might have snatched at a point had Adem Ljajic not seen his 64th-minute penalty saved by Palermo goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.

The hosts' misery was compounded when Riccardo Montolivo picked up a straight red card 16 minutes from time.

Napoli claimed their first Serie A win at the Stadio San Paolo this season as two late goals helped them beat Roma 2-0.

Marek Hamsik got the ball rolling for Napoli in the 72nd minute before Roma defender Juan deflected Hugo Campagnaro's cross into his own net with seven minutes remaining.

Luca Toni's first goal for Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris was enough to earn the Grifone their first win at home this season.

Toni struck in the fifth minute of injury time to earn the 10-man hosts a 2-1 victory over Bari.

Rodrigo Palacio put the home side ahead 10 minutes before the break and Miguel Veloso hit the post before the interval.

Paolo Barreto levelled from the penalty spot in the 53rd minute after Emiliano Moretti was sent off, but Toni decided the game with almost the last touch.

A goal from Daniele Corvia earned Lecce their second win of the season as they beat Catania 1-0.

Corvia struck with one of Lecce's few chances of a tight game in the 36th minute and it proved to be worth all three points for the Apulians, who joined their opponents on eight points for the season.

Mid-table duo Bologna and Sampdoria drew 1-1 in their match at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.

Daniele Portanova's own goal gave Samp the lead just before half-time - but the hosts hit back to earn a draw with Miguel Britos' header from Marco Di Vaio's free-kick.

A glorious goal from Andrea Pirlo gave AC Milan a 1-0 victory over Parma at the Stadio Tardini on Saturday.

The Italy midfielder let rip with a stunning long-range effort which would have deserved to win any game in the 25th minute.

In Saturday's other game, Mehdi Benatia's first goal in Serie A earned Udinese their first win of the season in stoppage time as they won 1-0 against Cesena.

Cesena goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli seemed to have earned his side a point from their visit to the Stadio Friuli with a string of crucial saves, but Benatia struck in the second minute of stoppage-time to secure the points.

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Saturday Results

Udinese 1-0 Cesena

Parma 0-1 AC Milan

Sunday Results

Napoli 2-0 AS Roma

Inter Milan 0-0 Juventus

Lazio 1-0 Brescia

Genoa 2-1 Bari

Fiorentina 1-2 Palermo

Chievo 0-0 Cagliari

Bologna 1-1 Sampdoria

Lecce 1-0 Catania

Italian Serie A Weekend Picture Gallery

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La Liga:Lionel Messi: Barcelona is my home!

Lionel Messi has again pledged his loyalty to Barcelona after winning the European Golden Boot award on Thursday evening.

The Argentinean ace, who was bestowed with the honour after scoring 34 league goals in the 2009/10 campaign for his club, spoke of his intention to see off his career at the Nou Camp.

He was quoted as saying in Spanish sports daily Marca: "This is what I always say: Barcelona is my home and I hope that I stay here for many years."

The 23-year-old joined the Catalan club a decade ago and has since progressed into one of the most gifted players in his generation.

His latest award adds on to the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year he collected in 2009.

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."

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."

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."

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.

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.

Ferdinand glad about return to action

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand admitted he was relieved to be back in action after recent injury and illness.

The England star played for the Red Devils in a 5-2 victory over Scunthorpe in the League Cup.

Ferdinand admitted that his side was more than troubled in the early stages of the game at Glanford Park, going a goal down before managing to pull back with goals from Darron Gibson, Chris Smalling, Park Ji-Sung and two grom Michael Owen.

"It's always going to be a tricky test, to come to places like this," Ferdinand said to Sky Sports after the game.

"The crowd are really up for it, there was great support tonight from both sets of fans, it really geed them on in the first half especially but once we got our foot back in the game we kind of settled and started playing."

Ferdinand had missed his sides previous fixture against Liverpool, and was estatic to be back playing.

"Any game's good to be playing in," Ferdinand added.

"I'm just happy to be playing games now, I'm feeling good, with every game I'm getting sharper so long may it continue."

The England star was also pleased with new signing Chris Smalling's contribution to the side, and predicted greater things to come from the ex-Fulham defender.

"Chris is willing to learn, he wants to learn, he's hungry, you can see the desire in him," said Ferdinand.

"It was a bit of a forward's run [for the goal] across the front and he got a nick on it."

Next up for United is a trip to the Reebok Stadium on Sunday to face Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League.

Ancelotti puts faith in Chelsea tyros

Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed he will include four of the club's talented youngsters against Newcastle.

The Blues play the Magpies in Wednesday night's Carling Cup third-round tie at Stamford Bridge.

Defender Jeffrey Bruma, midfielder Gael Kakuta, striker Daniel Sturridge and full-back Patrick van Aanholt will all start against the Magpies.

"It is a good experience for them to play this kind of game," said Ancelotti.

"They are involved this season more compared to last season and when there is an opportunity I want to give them the opportunity to play and show their quality.

"Sturridge played in the Champions League, Kakuta played two games, Bruma played in the last game against Blackpool and they will get more opportunities to play.

"The Academy has done a good job in the last years and now we have the young players ready to play in our squad. Obviously against Newcastle it is important to win to maintain a good atmosphere but the most important thing is that these players can show their quality for the team."

Regular first-team players including goalkeeper Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, John Mikel Obi, Michael Essien and Didier Drogba will all be rested.

"Some players we had involved in the last games and I will give them a rest to prepare well for the next games," added Ancelotti.

One key figure is likely to return however with captain John Terry expected to come back from a rib injury that prevented him from playing against Blackpool.

However, England midfielder Frank Lampard remains sidelined with a hernia problem.

"JT is fit to play and maybe can play for 45 minutes which could help Bruma, but Lampard is not available," confirmed Ancelotti.

Terry insists the club's 'young guns' are beginning to make their mark on the first team.

"We have a great squad of players mixed with some very good young players who are making their mark on the team," said Terry.

"These opportunities are not only great for them but also for our youth system and credit goes to everyone working hard in the academy.

"The manager has spoken about the importance of strength in our squad this season and competition for places is always a good thing."

Chelsea are currently four points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier having scored 21 goals, 25 in all competitions, and Terry wants to see their fine start continue, especially with tough league games against Manchester City and Arsenal coming up.

"We've started well, we're passing the ball with confidence at the moment and getting at teams in behind when we can," added Terry.

"But the important thing is we don't stop doing these things because while a good start is obviously important. It is going to come down to consistency at some point and we know all about that from experience here."

Rosicky: Gunners want Carling Cup!

Tomas Rosicky maintains Arsenal are serious about landing the Carling Cup as they aim to end a six-year wait for trophies.

Czech winger Rosicky captained a strong Gunners team which beat Tottenham 4-1 after extra-time at White Hart Lane last night.

Manager Arsene Wenger - watching from the stands as he served a one-match touchline ban - selected a balanced squad, with Henri Lansbury, who opened the scoring on 15 minutes, the only reserve-team youngster to make the starting XI.

Wenger has said the Gunners will continue with the selection policy in a bid to reach Wembley, should he not see his options further depleted by injuries, with full-back Kieran Gibbs now sidelined for a few weeks by what was initially feared to be a serious foot injury.

Arsenal have not lifted a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup final, which was played in Cardiff.

Rosicky, who joined from Borussia Dortmund in the following season, believes another piece of silverware is long overdue.

"It is important to end the trophy drought because we haven't won anything for a long time. You can see the boss is going for it," said the 29-year-old.

"He wants to win the Carling Cup more this season because he took the whole team here. That gives us a better chance of winning it, we have a good enough squad to compete on all levels.

"I came in 2006 and have won nothing yet. I came here to win trophies, so let's go for it in style."

Robbie Keane had drawn the home side level just after the restart, and neither team was able to find a winner in normal time.

However Arsenal went back in front at the start of the first period of extra-time when Samir Nasri slotted in a penalty after being tugged back by Sebastien Bassong, before the Frenchman added another from the spot four minutes later following Steven Caulker's foul on Marouane Chamakh.

Andrey Arshavin scored a fourth to silence the White Hart Lane crowd.

Rosicky, who missed a crucial penalty at Sunderland on Saturday, admitted he was somewhat taken aback by the squad selection, which also included a strong bench.

"I was happy I was playing because a game against Tottenham is a great one to play in," he said.

"Maybe I was a bit surprised that the whole team came here even though he rotated a little bit, but all the players who played in the starting XI last night showed that they are ready and want to play."

Teenager Jack Wilshere continued his progression with another impressive display, which Wenger hailed as "outstanding".

Rosicky believes the 18-year-old, who won his first senior England cap at the start of the season, takes everything in his stride.

"He is a great talent. For his age, he has a great brain and a big future," said the Czech international.

"When Jack has got the ball, he is very calm. That is something young players sometimes don't have, they panic a little bit.

"With him you don't see it because he is very comfortable with the ball and that is the first quality you are looking for."

Arsenal today confirmed Gibbs' injury is not as bad as first feared.

The left-back missed a large part of last season because of a broken metatarsal, and with it the chance to feature at the World Cup.

Today's scans have revealed nothing more than severe bruising, but no definitive timescale has been set for the 20-year-old's return.

Arsenal are already without captain Cesc Fabregas, England winger Theo Walcott, Holland striker Robin van Persie, Denmark forward Nicklas Bendtner and midfielder Abou Diaby because of injury.

However, centre-back Thomas Vermaelen could be available for Saturday's home match against West Brom after his Achilles problem.

Fabregas, meanwhile, knows this is a big season for him, the Spain international fully committed to the Gunners cause following a summer of speculation over a move back to boyhood club Barcelona.

"I am completely focused, I know what I want to do and what I have to do. My mind is centred on what happens on the pitch, which I enjoy," Fabregas told Spanish radio station Cadena COPE.

"If I could not play football then I may worry, but while I still can here or wherever I can say I am happy.

"I am at a great club, in a great team and I want to do the best and have a great year."

La Liga:No ankle break for Lionel Messi

Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi suffered ligament damage to his right ankle after being injured against Atletico Madrid.

The Barcelona playmaker was stretchered off following a late challenge by Tomas Ujfalusi in the 2-1 win at the Vicente Calderon, an incident that saw the Atletico defender sent off.

Messi will undergo more tests tomorrow to determine the full extent of the injury but, according to the Barca website, the first examinations of the Argentinian's ankle showed just ligament damage.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola said after the match: "He'll be having more tests on Monday, but in principle a break has been ruled out.

"He's injured and the doctors will tell us how he is. Let's hope the first diagnosis is correct and we can help get him fit again.

"He's very sad and in tears. These things happen in football."

La Liga:Spanish La Liga Weekend Review

Barcelona ended Atletico Madrid's 100% start to the Primera Division season with a 2-1 win - but Lionel Messi was stretchered off.

Barcelona put their poor recent record at the Vicente Calderon behind them to end Atletico Madrid's 100% start to the Primera Division season with a 2-1 win - but there was an injury scare for Lionel Messi.

Barca had lost on their three previous league visits to Atletico's home but they deservedly earned all three points on this occasion thanks to first-half goals from Messi and Gerard Pique.

Atletico had managed to equalise through Raul Garcia but they could have few complaints about the result and finished the game with 10 men when defender Tomas Ujfalusi was sent off late on following a challenge on Messi.

Messi will undergo more tests tomorrow to determine the full extent of the injury but, according to the Barca website, the first examinations of the Argentinian's ankle showed just ligament damage.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola said after the match: "He'll be having more tests tomorrow, but in principle a break has been ruled out.

"He's injured and the doctors will tell us how he is. Let's hope the first diagnosis is correct and we can help get him fit again. He's very sad and in tears. These things happen in football."

Ten-man Valencia continued their flawless start to the new season with a 2-1 win at promoted side Hercules to ensure they remained the only club in the league with a 100% record.

Juan Mata gave Valencia the lead after just two minutes and Pablo Hernandez added a second halfway through the first half.

But Hercules, fresh from their surprise 2-0 success at the Nou Camp last weekend, hit back through a David Trezeguet penalty and would have hoped for a point after Valencia captain David Navarro was sent off just four minutes into the second half.

A header from Martin Caceres just before half-time gave Sevilla a 2-1 victory at Malaga in their Andalusian derby.

The Uruguay defender - signed from Barcelona on loan late last month - scored from a free-kick to propel his side to second place in the table after three rounds of matches.

Malaga had earlier taken the lead through Jose Rondon, but the home side were pegged back just five minutes later as Alejandro Alfaro levelled.

Nilmar was the inspiration as Villarreal sealed a second successive win, winning 2-1 to condemn promoted outfit Levante to a third consecutive top-flight defeat.

The Brazilian striker scored both goals as the Yellow Submarine cruised into a two-goal lead, and Levante never looked likely to get back in it, despite a last-minute strike from Felipe Caicedo.

Racing Santander claimed their first win of the season thanks to a 2-0 success at home to Real Zaragoza, but the Cantabrians benefited from a dubious refereeing decision which denied the visitors the lead at a crucial stage of the match.

Gabi's 72nd-minute strike was chalked off for an alleged foul by Ander Herrera, although replays indicated there was no infringement.

Racing went ahead just four minutes later through a header from Brazilian defender Henrique and they sealed victory in the last minute when Argentinian striker Ariel Nahuelpan slotted home following Manuel Arana's cross.

Cristiano Ronaldo's fortuitous goal proved decisive as Real Madrid won 2-1 away to Real Sociedad.

After a goalless first half, Argentina winger Angel Di Maria gave the visitors the lead when he cut in from the left and curled a superb shot into the far top corner.

Raul Tamudo equalised with his thigh from Antoine Griezmann's free-kick but Ronaldo's deflected free-kick 16 minutes from time sealed the points.

Jose Maria Callejon grabbed the only goal as Espanyol saw off Almeria in a dull encounter at the Estadi Cornella-El Prat.

Callejon struck two minutes into the second half, steering a right-foot shot into the bottom corner.

Almeria offered little attacking threat and are still searching for their first win of the season.

Gonzalo Castro's first-half penalty and Jonathan De Guzman's late strike gave Real Mallorca a first competitive win under new coach Michael Laudrup against Osasuna.

Castro scored from the spot in the 25th minute after Osasuna defender Miguel Flano handled the ball.

Walter Pandiani passed up a chance to equaliser just before the break heading wide at the far post.

But Real Mallorca had the best chances after the break before De Guzman wrapped up a 2-0 victory with a breakaway goal at the death.

Fernando Llorente grabbed a second-half equaliser to complete Athletic Bilbao's comeback in a 2-2 draw away to Sporting Gijon.

Miguel de las Cuevas fired Sporting ahead on 12 minutes after Athletic keeper Gorka Iraizoz had spilled a cross.

After Javi Martinez had rattled a post for Athletic, Gaston Sangoy latched onto an Alberto Rivera ball to make it 2-0.

Carlos Gurpegui quickly pulled a goal back for Athletic and Llorente struck just before the hour mark to level the scores, heading home Igor Martinez's corner.