United say welcome Beck to Danny
Manchester-born star returns to give Gunners crucial double boost
RSENAL striker Danny Welbeck’s reunion with former club Manchester United supplies one of the subplots as the Premier League resumes this weekend following the international break.
Arsenal welcome United to the Emirates Stadium tonight for a match that will see both teams attempt to avoid conceding further ground to early-season pace-setters Chelsea.
Beaten 2-1 at Swansea City on their last outing, Arsenal approach the weekend in sixth place, 12 points behind leaders Chelsea and a point above United, who edged Crystal Palace 1-0 in their most recent encounter.
Welbeck has excelled at centre-forward for both Arsenal and England since leaving United on transfer deadline day in a £16 million (about R274-m) transfer.
The Manchester-born striker, 23, came through the youth ranks at Old Trafford and his departure prompted former assistant coach Mike Phelan to declare that United’s identity had been “broken”.
Welbeck was withdrawn as a precaution during England’s 3-1 friendly win over Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday after complaining of tightness in his hamstring but is expected to face United.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has also been boosted by the news that France striker Olivier Giroud is ready to return after making a speedy recovery from a broken leg.
United received a blow during the international break when Dutch midfielder Daley Blind sustained a knee ligament injury likely to sideline him for several weeks. But although they face ongoing injury problems in defence, goalkeeper David de Gea and midfielders Michael Carrick and Angel di Maria should all be fit to face Arsenal despite sustaining knocks on international duty.
“Di Maria has trained today normally, so I don’t think that is a question mark, but (Luke) Shaw is,” United manager Louis van Gaal disclosed on Thursday.
“De Gea is good, no problem. I think I have to wait for the reaction in training with Carrick, but I also expect he’s ready to play.”
AThe season may be only 11 games old but complacency and rank misfortune already seem the only factors capable of preventing Chelsea from romping to a first league title since 2010. A 2-1 win at Liverpool enabled José Mourinho’s side to open an eight-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City prior to the international window, and Arsenal, United and Liverpool are even further back.
“The win at Anfield was really important because it was a really difficult game and we knew it was important for the future,” said Chelsea left-back Filipe Luis.
Chelsea host West Bromwich Albion today and will hope to see top scorer Diego Costa firing on all cylinders after he was left out of the Spain squad to rest his troublesome hamstrings.
The only team who have threatened to keep pace with Chelsea are Southampton, who trail the leaders by four points ahead of their trip to Aston Villa in the Monday night game.
Champions City will look to drag themselves out of a rut when they host Swansea today, having won only one of their last six matches in all competitions.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side are on the brink of elimination in the Champions League ahead of Tuesday’s home game with Bayern Munich, but have at least been able to rely on the form of Sergio Aguero.
The Argentine sharp-shooter scored his 11th and 12th league goals of the season in City’s 2-2 draw at Queens Park Rangers a fortnight ago and appears to have overcome the injury problems that bedevilled him last term.
Another team in desperate need of an upturn in fortunes are Liverpool, who lie in 11th place, 15 points behind Chelsea, after three games without a victory.
Tomorrow Brendan Rodgers’ side play Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, scene of their crushing late-season capitulation last May when they effectively gifted City the title by letting a 3-0 lead slip to draw 3-3.
Liverpool’s woes have been compounded by the news that striker Daniel Sturridge could be out until the new year after aggravating a thigh injury. – Sapa-AFP before so I’m used to it,” said the former Serbia international.
“A new coach always comes in with his own ideas and philosophy. Mancini has shown us what he wants and what he expects, which is great and also good fun.”
Milan will be without Nigel de Jong after the Dutchman picked up an injury while on international duty last week.
But while Milan wait on their own former Premier League player, Fernando Torres, to spark amid an underwhelming start to the campaign for the Spaniard, Stephan El Shaarawy has shown plenty of promise on
ZURICH: The 2022 World Cup should be held in Qatar only if the exploitation of migrant workers stops, Fifa presidential candidate Jerome Champagne said in an interview.
The Frenchman said Fifa’s capability to govern the sport could be threatened by the continuing controversy over the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments and that “sanctity of the World Cup” was also at stake.
He also repeated his call for Fifa ethics investigator Michael Garcia’s report into the bidding process for the finals awarded to Russia and Qatar to be published in full.
The findings were summarised in a 42-page statement published by Fifa ethics judge HansJoachim Eckert last week, which Garcia himself complained included misrepresentations. Fifa have said they cannot publish the full report for legal reasons.
“It’s great to take the World Cup to an Arab country because Morocco bid four times, Egypt twice. If nothing has happened, we go to Qatar,” said Champagne.
“But we cannot go to Qatar if we don’t solve the issue of the exploitation of the workers, which means that the companies from the rest of the world have to be subject to strict regulations based on what has been said by Amnesty International and ITUC (the International Trade Union Conference).
“We have a network of exploitation of poverty which starts in the countryside of India and the valleys of Nepal,” he said.
“The World Cup is a celebration. Imagine if we have this celebration knowing it has been on the exploitation of poverty.”
Qatar has been widely criticised over its treatment of migrant workers in the construction industry and says it is working to address the problem.
his recent return to the fray.
Rossoneri midfielder Sulley Muntari played down the effect of Mancini’s return.
“Mancini is a great coach who has had success everywhere he has gone. He’ll be influential, but he won’t be playing on the pitch. It will be down to the players,” said the Ghanaian.
Ahead of tomorrow’s clash, Roma have the chance to close their three-point gap to leaders Juve away to an Atalanta side sitting two points above the relegation zone.
However, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has heaped the pressure on Rudi Garcia’s men following repeated Giallorossi claims that this season’s title will be theirs.
“Roma are strong and have come off the back of a great season in which they finished runners-up,” said Allegri.
“But the fact is, they can’t hide now. The pressure will be on them as well because another second place won’t be enough. It would be a big disappointment, a kind of small failure.”
Juventus face a tough trip to a Lazio side who have taken 16 from a possible 21 points in their past seven games.
Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio warned against taking Lazio too lightly following an international break. – SapaAFP