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Friday, September 9, 2011

EPL

Arsenal Midfielder Aaron Ramsey has called on Arsenal to prove they have recovered from their Old Trafford mauling when they face Swansea on Saturday. Aston Villa Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish believes he will have the services of Darren Bent, Richard Dunne and Shay Given for the clash with Everton. Blackburn Blackburn boss Steve Kean believes he was able to bring in useful faces over the summer and is expecting a keenly-contested battle for places. Bolton Bolton boss Owen Coyle is happy with options at his disposal in the attacking department as the Trotters prepare to host Manchester United. Chelsea Andre Villas-Boas does not expect Chelsea to make another bid for Luka Modric in January after failing to land the Tottenham star this summer. Everton Chief executive Robert Elstone has attempted to quell a planned fans' protest by stressing Everton are committed to finding new investment. Fulham Fulham's new forward Bryan Ruiz is raring to go at the Craven Cottage and is desperate to make his debut for the Cottagers against Blackburn. Liverpool Kenny Dalglish will not rush Sebastian Coates into English football, but expects the defender is 'chomping at the bit' to play against Stoke. Manchester City Coach Roberto Mancini remains keen on taking Alessio Cerci to Manchester City, but admits he faces a battle to lure him away from Fiorentina. Manchester United Young defender Jonny Evans acknowledges that he needs to raise his game this season or risk being offloaded by Manchester United next summer. Newcastle United Dundee United boss Peter Houston has dismissed claims of interest from Newcastle, Celtic and Rangers in Scott Allan as 'absolute nonsense'. Norwich City Scunthorpe United want a longer look at City striker Oli Johnson after he failed to impress for their reserves against Middlesbrough this week. Queens Park Rangers QPR manager Neil Warnock has refused to write off a shock move for David Beckham when his contract with Los Angeles Galaxy ends in November. Stoke City Veteran striker Peter Crouch is eager to hit the ground running at Stoke and repay the 'remarkable support' he has received since signing. Sunderland Defender John O'Shea insists he did not join Sunderland to coast towards the end of his career after a trophy-laden spell at Manchester United. Swansea City Brendan Rodgers expects Swansea to face an Arsenal backlash at Emirates Stadium on Saturday - but wants his side to be bold in their approach. Tottenham Spurs midfielder Sandro has signed a new five-year contract at White Hart Lane having been linked with Roma and Barcelona earlier this summer. West Brom Head coach Roy Hodgson is confident West Brom have the midfield quality to compensate for failing to sign their summer target Owen Hargreaves. Wigan Athletic Roberto Martinez has confirmed that Wigan plan to hold contract discussions with any player that has entered the final year of their contract. Wolverhampton Wolverhampton boss Mick McCarthy says he has not held discussions with any particular free agent to fill the gap in his squad at Molineux.

La Liga

Athletic Bilbao Athletic Bilbao defender Mikel San Jose has underlined the importance of beating Espanyol on Sunday in order to reassure everyone at the club. Atletico Madrid Defender Antonio Lopez is confident that Atletico will be able to excite their fans in all three competition with their well balanced squad. Barcelona A delegation of Barcelona directors are expected to arrive in Brazil on Friday as they continue their pursuit of Santos star forward Neymar. Espanyol Espanyol midfielder Vladimir Weiss said he always dreamed of playing the La Liga and is hoping to score as many goals as he can for the side. Getafe Getafe president Angel Torres has expressed his opinion that Barcelona's award-winning brand of football is beginning to lose its momentum. Granada Midfielder Carlos Martins said Granada have the potential to surprise Malaga, as he warned their opponents that big names do not win games. Levante Good news for Levante coach Juan Ignacio Martinez as Ruben Pallardo and Moncada have shaken off their knocks and should be available this week. Malaga Midfielder Apono said that Malaga will play with their usual style and has rejected suggestions that the team are under pressure to perform. Osasuna Sports director Angel Martin is delighted with the positivity within Osasuna but urged the players to confirm their form in official matches. Racing Santander Racing striker Ariel Nahuelpan admitted that he does not have 90 minutes in his leg yet but is confident that his team will win this weekend. Rayo Vallecano Rayo Vallecano players can now use their gym equipments again as defender Jose Manuel Casado said it is the first step towards normalisation. Real Betis Real Betis will have to face Real Mallorca without Mario and Sergio Rodriguez, as both players will only resume squad training next Wednesday. Real Madrid Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is enjoying a lively partnership with Mesut Ozil, who he believes is the best German player around. Real Mallorca It has been confirmed Mallorca will not be able to field striker Marvin Ogunjimi until January after failing to complete his transfer on time. Real Sociedad Real Sociedad defender Vadim Demidov insisted that is not impossible to beat Barcelona on Saturday as his side have built a fortress in Anoeta. Real Zaragoza Zaragoza midfielder Angel Lafita revealed that the club have yet to make any offer to extend his contract but insisted he is happy at Romareda. Sevilla Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo will create club history if he can score for the sixth consecutive matches, currently held by Araujo and Arza. Sporting Gijon Sporting Gijon coach Manolo Preciado is likely to field Damian Suarez, Trejo and Sangoy in places of the suspended Lora, Nacho Novo and Barral. Valencia Miguel Brito admitted he was left frustrated after his transfer did not materialised but has promised his commitment to the Valencia cause. Villarreal Villarreal defender Cristian Zapata is unlikely to feature versus Sevilla after running into trouble with his exit visa from the United States.

Serie A

AC Milan Milan boss Max Allegri said their tie against Lazio is important as it could allow them to go to Barcelona and Napoli with the right mentality. AS Roma Simon Kjaer believes that Roma have the squad and the project to challenge at the top of Serie A this term, but will need time to hit top form. Atalanta Atalanta striker Manolo Gabbiadini is not worried about the 6 penalty points and is convinced that his side will avoid relegation this season. Bologna Bologna vice president Maurizio Setti admits they are a little tense heading into the match against Fiorentina due to the many changes in the squad. Cagliari Cagliari coach Massimo Ficcadenti will be able to field Rui Sampaio against Roma after the club completed the paperwork for the midfielder. Catania Catania president Antonino Pulvirenti believes 50 points is a realistic target for his side this term and it will be testimony to their growth. Cesena New Cesena midfielder Abdelkader Ghezzal admits he is happy to be reunited with boss Marco Giampaolo, who coached him while they were at Siena. Chievo Chievo midfielder Luca Rigoni has played down comparison to his coach Domenico Di Carlo and declared that he is happy with the new players. Fiorentina Fiorentina boss Sinisa Mihajlovic has questioned Cesare Prandelli's reason for not featuring Alberto Gilardino against Slovenia on Tuesday. Genoa Genoa manager Alberto Malesani has revealed that Andrea Caracciolo has recovered from injury but will only be available starting next week. Inter Milan Bad news for Inter Milan manager Gian Piero Gasperini as midfielder Thiago Motta could be sidelined for a month due to a hamstring problem. Lazio Lazio coach Edy Reja believes their match against Milan is an important test that will help them understand what they can achieve this season. Lecce Lecce new signing Massimo Oddo insisted that he is not afraid of playing out of position for the Salentini and would welcome the challenge. Napoli Napoli midfielder Blerim Dzemaili said his team are focused on launching their new Serie A campaign before thinking about the Champions League. Novara Coach Attilio Tesser is asking Novara to reproduce the enthusiasm of last year and admits he would be happy to finish fourth from the bottom. Palermo Santos sports director Pedro Luis does not rule out the possibility that goalie Rafael would be joining Palermo in the January transfer window. Parma Parma coach Franco Colomba is optimistic of their chances against Juventus and urges his players to approach the game with the right mentality. Siena Bad news for Siena manager Giuseppe Sannino ahead of their trip to Catania as midfielder Reginaldo is out for two weeks due to thigh injury. Udinese Young Gabriel Torje has underlined that he joined Udinese because the Zebrette have a strong squad, not because he is the new Alexis Sanchez.