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Wayne Rooney is alleged to have punched Blackburn defender Michael Gray in the face during an altercation at a Manchester restaurant last Saturday night.
The incident took place at the Panacea restaurant after Rooney and fiancee Coleen McLoughlin were approached by Gray.
Three other couples, who are close friends of Rooney, were also in attendance as the two players exchanged words, before Rooney allegedly struck the Rovers player, giving the former England international a black eye.
“Wayne and Coleen were enjoying a night out with three other couples and were having a quiet dinner when Michael came up to their table uninvited,” said a spokesman for the striker.
“Michael then began making a number of remarks which were offensive to Coleen and Wayne’s other female guests.
“Several times, Wayne asked Michael to leave. It was a brief incident and as far as Wayne is concerned, he bears no ill-feeling towards Michael.”
With Rooney still serving a club suspension and, having only just returned from an international ban, further negative press will disappoint Manchester United.
However, it is believed that, given the provocation, Rooney will not face any internal action from his club, while it is understood that Gray has offered a full version of events to his manager Mark Hughes.
Blackburn are reportedly set to clinch the free transfer signing of former Rover Stephane Henchoz.
Henchoz is a free agent following his release from Wigan at the end of last season, and hence eligible to move outside of the transfer window.
Ryan Nelsen’s continuing rehabilitation from a persistent hamstring injury is believed to have forced Rovers’ hand, with manager Mark Hughes an admirer of the 32-year-old Switzerland international.
Having been signed by former Rovers boss Roy Hodgson from Hamburg in 1997, Henchoz is now poised for a second spell at Ewood Park after concurring on a contract until 2007.
The former Liverpool star’s arrival could pave the way for the Ewood exit of fringe player Dominic Matteo, with Henchoz’s former Reds team-mate also being considered by one of his former clubs.
Leeds manager Kevin Blackwell has revealed his interest in signing the 32-year-old, but believes he could be priced out of a move for the player, who left Elland Road in 2004, following the cash-strapped side’s relegation.
“He is someone that interests me but I have a wish list in my heart that I cannot always get,” said Blackwell.
“We have to remember that Dom left here because of money.”
Rovers chairman John Williams hinted earlier this week that Matteo could be allowed to leave the club on loan, but Hughes insists that he would look for additional cover before releasing the former Scotland international.
“I have had no offers for Dominic – we have obviously lost Ryan Nelsen for some time so the situation is that we need players like him at this club,” said Hughes.
“I have had discussions with Dominic and am aware he is frustrated at not playing. Maybe at some point it will be right that he goes away and plays more football, but not at this moment in time.”
Dirk Kuyt insists he will relish the cauldron atmosphere of Goodison Park if he is handed his first Liverpool start against Everton on Saturday.
The Holland international made an impressive cameo debut from the bench against West Ham last week, prior to fulfilling international duties in the past seven days.
Having proven he has all the physical and mental attributes to succeed in The Premiership, Kuyt could well be one of potentially nine new faces making their derby day debuts at the weekend.
The 26-year-old hit-man has long since been established as one of Europe’s top goalscorers, albeit in Holland, and he has now set his sights on reproducing such form in England; starting against Everton.
“These are the kind of games I love to play in. They just seem to bring out the best in me because I feed off the energy in the stands,” Kuyt told The Sun.
“At home games our crowd are behind us. I use their positive energy and seem to find another few percent.
“And I love going into the lion’s den away from home, when your every touch is booed by the rival supporters.
“That doesn’t put me off – it actually inspires me. I have seen Liverpool and Everton games on television and they look amazing.
“Everyone is singing and the game is very, very fast.
“I’m already really looking forward to it and am sure it will be even better in the flesh.
“I know how much of a help winning and scoring against your main rivals can be to your career. I’d like a nice goal against Everton to help me bond with the fans.”
Rovers’ return of just one point from their first three fixtures has disappointed manager Mark Hughes, but Pedersen believes Rovers will turn the corner, sooner rather than later.
With a Uefa Cup clash against Salzburg on the horizon, the Norway international has urged his team-mates to focus on the task in hand of accruing league points, before considering their European engagement.
“We have a lot of games – we have got Europe, The Premiership, but we have to first of all concentrate on Saturday and the game against Sheffield United,” Pedersen told Sky Sports News.
“We have to be well prepared and I am looking forward to getting back on track with Blackburn.
“We want to win games and we want to go and get three points, we want to win every game we play, but it is still early in the season and it is good to get some points on the table.”
Pedersen admits The Blades will be a tough proposition at Bramall Lane, but has confidence in his side’s chances of victory.
“It is going to be a tough game – they have come up and want to show everyone they belong in The Premiership, but we know what we can do on a good day and hopefully we can bring some joy and get three points.”
The Watford front-man is yet to score this term and the newly promoted side are still looking for their first win since entering the top-flight, but the former Reading hit-man is confident both of those facts can be put to bed this weekend against Bolton.
“I feel I have coped well [in The Premiership],” Henderson told Sky Sports News.
“I would like to get off the mark and I am looking to do that this Saturday, as a team we fear no one and I am sure that has helped us.”
Bolton easily beat Watford in the FA Cup last season, but Henderson insists he and his team-mates will offer up a different challenge this time around.
“I think we have got a years’ experience and we are more organised,” he said.
“We know ourselves and each other better and I am sure we have improved as a team and it is going to be a good game.”
The Israeli international was linked with a shock switch to Portsmouth over the summer after the Fratton Park club missed out on Blackburn’s Ryan Nelson.
Ben Haim has just one year remaining on the three-year deal he penned when he joined Bolton in 2004.
The 24-year-old is yet to agree terms on a new deal and reports suggested Pompey would make a cut-price bid for the stopper in January.
However, Allardyce says he will not allow Ben Haim to leave on the cheap and will only consider selling if clubs meet Bolton’s valuation, thought to be around £6 million.
“We’ve had enquiries for Tal, but nobody has come near our valuation,” Allardyce said in the Daily Mirror.
Meanwhile, Allardyce will reportedly pay as much as £1 million for highly-rated Coventry teenager Temitope Obadeyi.
Obadeyi refused the chance of a scholarship at the Ricoh Arena but any club wanting his services are required to pay compensation to The Sky Blues.
The Trotters would pay Coventry an initial £150,000 with further add-ons that could eventually make the deal worth £1 million.
The two sides are no stranger to one another having met in the tournament’s knockout stage stage in each of the last two seasons, with controversy dogging the sides’ recent clashes.
Group A sees the occasionally feuding pair drawn alongside Werder Bremen and Levski Sofia, with Ronaldinho more wary of the German opposition than he is of Jose Mourinho’s star-studded team.
“They will be easy to beat because their new signings Andrei Shevchenko, Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole won’t have settled in,” Ronaldinho told the Daily Express.
“Anybody would think Chelsea are our main rivals, but I hold Werder Bremen in high regard. They will be very strong opposition.”
The Brazilian admits he is surprised by the hype surrounding his team’s clash with Chelsea, although the flamboyant star believes it will be to his side’s advantage to play The Blues sooner rather than later.
“People call our group the group of death, but this is football, not war,” added Ronaldinho.
“However, the amount of hype surrounding Chelsea takes my breath away. It is better for us to play them now rather than later in the season.
“Ballack, Shevchenko and Cole may well make them stronger. But they will need time to settle and this will be to Chelsea’s disadvantage.”
The Danish midfielder ended his 18 month stay in Spain by joining Gordon Strachan’s men last month in a deal worth around £2 million.
Capello’s arrival at The Santiago Bernabeu looked to signal the end of Gravesen’s Real career and the 30-year-old has launched a scathing attack at the former Juventus coach.
“Capello arrived and told me in a very arrogant manner – without having seen me play – that he didn’t want me,” Gravesen told the Daily Record.
“He is not a nice guy. He did not even give me an opportunity. He didn’t even know my name. He was arrogant and selfish.
“Mine wasn’t the only name he couldn’t remember. He referred to goalkeeper Iker Casillas as Bobo, which is the name of a former keeper who had already left the club.”
Gravesen’s former team mates were also not let off without being slated, with the Dane suggesting some of the superstars failed to pull their weight.
“It’s fantastic to play for them when they are in the mood,” he continued.
“But the team fell apart at times because only a few were doing any running.
“If a player is a superstar and earns more than any of the others then they should be leading the way but they didn’t. At times they behaved like s***s.”
Gravesen also feels the Spanish giants were misled in their perception of him.
The former Everton man is often labelled as a defensive midfielder and Gravesen is baffled why Real also thought that was the case.
“I don’t know what they saw in me but I am not a defensive midfielder – at least I don’t see myself that way,” he said.
“They should have signed Carsley who used to play behind me at Everton – but I’m happy they made the mistake.”
One of Gravesen’s final acts in Madrid saw him involved in a training ground bust-up with Robinho.
Gravesen feels he was often unfairly treated by some sections of the Spanish media, with the most recent incident clear evidence of that being the case.
He added: “I made a couple of strong tackles on him but didn’t leave him with any bruises.
“He retaliated by hitting me and giving me a couple of kicks so I went for him. It would have been better if I had not reacted like that.
“But Spanish TV, who had film of the sequence of events, decided not to show them. I wonder why?”
Ashley Cole has revealed he turned down a move to Real Madrid to join Chelsea.
Cole finally completed his protracted his move from Arsenal to Chelsea just before the close of the transfer window last week.
The England international admitted he resisted the overtures from Real to make the switch to Stamford Bridge.
“Two or three days before the transfer window closed, Chelsea came in with a final bid and I am here now,” Cole told Chelsea TV.
“Before the World Cup I spoke to Arsene Wenger and he asked me where I wanted to go and I said I preferred to concentrate on the World Cup.
“He said there were a few clubs (interested) Chelsea, Madrid and I am glad to be here now. ”
Cole is expecting a fight for a place in Jose Mourinho’s team and the full back is taking nothing for granted with England team-mate Wayne Bridge battling for the left back spot.
“I’ve got a fight on my hands with Wayne Bridge but hopefully I can play alongside John Terry like we do at England.
“I didn’t come here and expect to play, it will definitely be a fight.”
Cole is happy to have finally ended the transfer sage and has set his sights on helping Chelsea to more success
“I’ve won the league twice now so winning the Champions League would be a great achievement,” added Cole.
“I have been to the final once and I am eager to keep playing and hopefully one day I can pick it up.
“Chelsea have won the league two years on the trot and I think to go to the Champions League final and to actually win it would be a great achievement for them and me as well.
The Spanish striker is a free agent after having his contract cancelled at Deportivo La Coruna last week.
Tristan had originally ruled out a move to England saying he preferred to stay in Spain, but the 30-year-old is now considering all his options.
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce confirmed earlier this week he was interested in signing the Spanish international.
Tristan revealed he expects to make a decision over his future this weekend and he admitted he has talked with Ivan Campo about a possible move to Bolton.
“Initially I had decided to stay in Spain but the situation has changed and now I do not discard a contract for one season abroad,” said Tristan.
I have three clubs( Newcastle, Charlton and Bolton) that are waiting on my answer.
“I am happy with theses clubs but until this weekend I do not decide my destination.
“Ivan Campo has called me and the opinion is favorable but this move is very important and I do not desire to make a mistake.”
Albelda picked up the injury during Spain’s shock 3-2 defeat to Northern Ireland on Wednesday night.
The 29-year-old was forced off in the first half of the loss at Windsor Park.
Albelda is expected to undergo surgery on the problem this Friday and the defensive midfielder admitted it was an unfortunate injury.
“It is bad fortune,” said Albelda. “These things happen in football.”
The news is a major blow for Valencia boss Quique Sanchez Flores as he is already missing Asier del Horno and Ruben Baraja because of injury.
“This is bad news for us,” noted Flores.
Albelda is now set to be sidelined for up to three weeks with the injury meaning he will miss this weekend’s clash with Atletico Madrid and next week’s UEFA Champions League tie with Olympiakos.
The former Sevilla star had pushed for a move back to Spain and is relishing the prospect of playing alongside the host of stars at the Bernabeu.
Reyes was clearly unhappy in his final weeks at Arsenal and finally made the move that he was dreaming of in a deal that saw Julio Baptista move to the Emirates Stadium.
“I have said thousands of times that I wanted to play for Real Madrid and now I am here,” Reyes said.
“My team-mates have all welcomed me and I am grateful to all of them.
“I have been going crazy waiting for this moment and to wear the Real Madrid shirt. I truly feel like a Madrid player.”
Madrid were criticised after opening their league campaign with a goalless draw against Villarreal, but Reyes is in no doubt that the team will have a good season under Fabio Capello.
“He is a great coach and we have talked a bit and it was good,” Reyes continued.
“Let us hope that this season we have the luck that has been missing in the last few seasons.
“I have come here to do as well as I can and work hard in training. Then it will be up to the coach as to whether I play.
“It will be easy to play alongside players such as Raul and Ronaldo.
“The sensation is the same whether you are on loan or have moved permanently. The motivation is the same and when I go out I always give everything.”
The Serie A season finally gets underway this weekend, following a delay due to the fallout from the match-fixing scandal.
Juventus have been demoted to Serie B for their part in the scandal, while Fiorentina, Lazio and Milan will start the season with 19, 11 and eight-point deductions respectively.
With a number of the major players seemingly out of the running, the talk in Italy is that Internazionale and Roma will fight out the scudetto.
Reggina face a mountain to climb if they are to stay up, as they have been docked 15 points for their part in the match-fixing scandal, while Catania, Messina and Cagliari are also likely to struggle.
Skysports.com’s Italian expert Nadia Carminati has previewed the season, giving her views on who will be the teams to watch in the new term.
ASCOLI
Ascoli play their second consecutive Serie A season and it will be a much-changed side on show. There have been a number of comings and goings over the summer, notably a new coach in Attilio Tesser and he has been charged with the task of steadying the ship.Veteran keeper Gianluca Pagliuca, defenders Paolo Foglio and Valentin Nastase, midfielder Fabio Pecchia and striker Gennaro Delvecchio are new faces. Their season could hinge on how the players bond in the early weeks of the season, but it is likely to be a tough campaign for Ascoli.
ATALANTA
Christian Vieri’s return is the most interesting market affair made by the Bergamo side. Vieri may have commanded the headlines, but president Ivan Ruggeri also added Cristiano Doni and allowed coach Stefano Colantuono to bring in Moris Carrozzieri, Conteh Kewullayu, Nelson Abeijon, Ferreira Pinto and Leonardo Talamonti.On paper, the Serie A new boys have spent well this summer, but there is more than a suspicion over how well the new arrivals will be able to integrate into the old group. Atalanta possess experience and quality, but Colantuono will have to be able manage the possible troubles if they are to prosper.
CAGLIARI
Cagliari president Massimo Cellino was true to his word as he kept hold of David Suazo, Mauro Esposito and Antonio Langella despite the many offers the club received for the trio.With few arrivals in the close season, the trio will be key to the club’s fortunes. Attention will also be focused on young striker Pepe, who arrived from Udinese, as he will get the chance to play regularly and fulfil his potential.
Many eyes will be on new coach Marco Giampaolo and Cagliari will hope he can repeat the fine season he had with Ascoli.
CATANIA
The Serie A new boys have made no secret that their aim for the season is to avoid a swift return to Serie B.The club made the return to the top flight for the first time in 23 years and coach Pasquale Marino worked hard on squad strengthening this summer. Lorenzo Stovini, Fausto Rossini, Mark Edusei, Takayuki Morimoto and Giuseppe Colucci are viewed as notable signings and how they perform could decide their fate.
CHIEVO
The Flying Donkeys enter the new season on a low note, having been beaten by Levski Sofia in UEFA Champions League qualifying, but they are still hopeful of a good campaign.The Uefa Cup will be a distraction for coach Giuseppe Pillon, but he is sure to urge his players to make Serie A their priority.
Amauri was a notable summer departure, but they kept hold of Franco Semioli and added Denis Godeas and Kamil Kosowski to their ranks. The concern for some is that many of Chievo’s players are the wrong side of 30, but the experience can be a bonus and they are sure to be fighting in the top half of the table.
EMPOLI
The Tuscan side suffered a summer blow as star player Francesco Tavano joined Valencia and his absence will be sorely felt. Luca Saudati has been brought in as a direct replacement, but he has major boots to fill.The arrival of Daniele Adani is a major addition to the back line, but there were few other arrivals for Luigi Cagni and avoiding relegation will be the main aim.
FIORENTINA
A 19-point penalty for match fixing did not dent the club’s ambitions in the transfer market, with the Viola hierarchy keen to build a squad capable of climbing away from trouble.Adrian Mutu, Fabio Liverani, Massimo Gobbi, Manuele Blasi and Mario Santana were notable captures and will go some way to offsetting the loss of Valeri Bojinov, Stefano Fiore, Antonio Jimenez and Marco Di Loreto.
Many fans will, however, feel that the club’s decision to retain the services of star striker Luca Toni will be of greater importance.
A 19-point penalty is a huge handicap to overcome, but should Toni and the new signings settle then they have enough class to extricate themselves from trouble.
INTERNAZIONALE
Inter were the big players in the summer transfer window, with president Massimo Moratti eager to take advantage of their rivals’ troubles and land the Serie A title.The Nerazzurri strengthened in all areas over the summer, with Fabio Grosso a notable defensive signing to follow up the captures of Maicon and Maxwell.
Olivier Dacourt, Mariono Gonzales and Patrick Vieira add real quality to the midfield and with Hernan Crespo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic joining Adriano, Julio Cruz and Alvaro Recoba in attack, the ingredients are there for success.
Roberto Mancini’s biggest problem is which 11 players to select, as a number of egos are likely to be dented with so much quality on show.
Inter were awarded the title following Juventus’ relegation, but they will want to win it by rights in the new campaign.
LAZIO
Lazio start the season with an 11-point penalty, but they have enough quality to climb into the upper reaches of the table.Coach Delio Rossi allowed Fabio Liverani and Ousmane Dabo to move on, which allowed him to raid the market to sign Stephen Makinwa, Cristian Ledesma, Massimo Mutarelli and Pasquale Foggia.
Of more importance could be the fact that Massimo Oddo decided to stay in the Eternal City and he could be the man to spark a charge towards Europe.
LIVORNO
Livorno threw away a golden chance to secure European football with an awful finish to the last campaign, but the Tuscan side are sure to come back with renewed vigour.Cristiano Lucarelli decided to remain with the club and this is undoubtedly their most important piece of summer business. Sammy Kuffour, Rahman Rezaei, Antonio Filippini, Jose Vidigal and Giovanni Pasquale have joined the club and they could well help the club in a European push.
MESSINA
Messina kept their place in the top league thanks to Juventus’ Serie B relegation for the match fixing scandal. The Sicilians suffered relegation but were handed a reprieve by the authorities.New coach Bruno Giordano has moved to strengthen the squad, with striker Christian Rigano, defender Mark Iuliano, and midfielders Alvarez and Ogasawara interesting recruits.
The club, though, are likely to enter the new season more in hope than expectation and it could be a campaign of toil.
MILAN
Milan start the season eight points adrift, but this will prove no real obstacle and some believe they could well be title challengers.The Rossoneri were somewhat circumspect in the transfer market, with Daniele Bonera, Ricardo Oliveira, Giuseppe Favalli and Yoann Gourcouff their only captures. And this, coupled with the departure of Andrei Shevchenko has left many fans scratching their heads.
Alberto Gilardino and Filippo Inzaghi are likely to take on the striking roles following the departure of Shevchenko, although new boy Oliveira could have something to say about this, but their hopes are likely to rest on how well Brazilian superstar Kaka performs.
PALERMO
Palermo were major movers in the summer market, signalling president Maurizio Zamparini’s desire to take the club forward.Coach Francesco Guidolin is back in charge after a year’s absence and he will have a number of new players to work with.
Brazilian Amauri arrived in the final hours of the window and will have a key role to play. Cesare Bovo, Mark Bresciano, Aimo Diana, and Roberto Guana have also arrived and with a number of the big players starting the season in negative numbers, Palermo could be the surprise package.
PARMA
Parma defied the critics and financial troubles to secure a top-half finish last term and they will be looking to repeat the dose.A number of key players have moved on, notably Daniele Bonera, Bernardo Corradi, Marco Marchionni, Mark Bresciano, Fabio Simplicio and Sebastien Frey, but coach Stefano Pioli still has a useful squad at his disposal.
Piolo is likely to give youth a chance in the new campaign, but he will look to experienced signings Luca Bucci, Domenico Morfeo and Giuseppe Cardone to aid their progress.
Igor Budan, Vitali Kutuzov and Zlatan Muslimovic are solid attacking captures and they will be charged with the task of keeping them in the top half of the table.
REGGINA
Reggina are among the favourites to go down, as they start the season 15 points adrift due to the match fixing polemics.There has been little movement in the transfer market and coach Walter Mazzarri will have to mastermind the great escape with the majority of players he worked with last term
ROMA
Roma are considered the main challengers to Inter in the title race and coach Luciano Spalletti has made a number of shrewd signings.Mirko Vucinic and David Pizarro are the most notable captures and they will add real quality in the attacking third.
Marco Cassetti, Max Tonetto, Rodrigo Defendi, Gilberto Martinez have also come in, while Matteo Ferrari has returned from a loan spell at Everton, and the squad looks strong even with the departures of Olivier Dacourt, Cesare Bovo, Edgar Alvarez, Mido and Sammy Kuffour.
Captain and talisman Francesco Totti proved at the World Cup he is over the broken ankle he suffered last term and he will be targeting a scudetto.
SAMPDORIA
Sampdoria have made a number of changes over the summer, with coach Walter Novellino injecting some youth into his squad.Ruben Olivera, Gennaro Delvecchio, Massimo Bonanni, Christian Maggio, Daniele Franceschini and Fabio Quagliarella have been brought to the Luigi Ferraris and with Emiliano Bonazzoli and Fabio Bazzani fit again, hopes are high for the new term.
Francesco Flachi, Giulio Falcone and Sergio Volpi will look to bring on the youngsters and the blend of youth and experience could see Samp flourish.
SIENA
Siena’s best piece of business was to keep hold of Erjon Bodgani and the Albanian will look to spark their battle to avoid the drop.The club made few waves in the transfer market, but they did add a touch of experience in Alex Manninger, Vincent Candela, Valerio Bertotto and Paul Codrea to replace departed quartet Igor Tudor, Nicola Legrottaglie, Paolo Foglio and Gianluca Falsini.
Much will depend on the form of Bodgani and Enrico Chiesa, but coach Mario Beretta is quietly confident of staving off the threat of relegation.
TORINO
Of the Serie A newcomers, Torino were the most active in the transfer market but their summer efforts were overshadowed by the departure of coach Gianni De Biasi just days before the start of the season.De Biasi was axed by president Urbano Cairo and replaced with Alberto Zaccheroni and this is sure to have an effect on the squad, notably new recruits Christian Abbiati, Gianluca Comotto, Giuseppe Pancaro, Simone Barone, Stefano Fiore, Masashi Oguro and Axel Konan.
The talk in Turin is on avoiding the drop, but the club have often held lofty ambitions and they could well be looking to push for Europe
UDINESE
Udinese did not make huge investments in the summer, with their focus being on preserving their impressive squad.Offers for Vincenzo Iaquinta, Antonio Di Natale, Sulley Muntari and Felipe were fended off and coach Giovanni Galeone is happy with the options available to him.
Galeone is delighted to have continuity and is eager to improve on last term’s 13th-place finish.
The Azzurri have made a terrible start to their qualifying campaign, dropping two points against Lithuania and then losing 3-1 to France.
Donadoni’s job is already under threat, but he is confident that his side will be much stronger when they take on Ukraine and Georgia next month.
“Italy now need their champions and I trust that two or three of them will be at my disposal in October,” said the former Milan winger.
Donadoni is even set to turn to Francesco Totti, who had been reported as saying that he did not wish to return to the national team until next year.
“As for Totti, I know he last said he would not return until next year, but that is not what he had told me. We agreed to speak every once in a while to assess his physical condition,” he explained.
“I will call him, as I will do with the other world champions who were not in Paris. I don’t want all the attention focused on Totti, but Italy now really need him.”
Donadoni is also expected to recall Luca Toni and Alessandro Del Piero.
Pirlo has signed a three-year extension to his contract to keep him at the Giuseppe Meazza until the summer of 2011.
The 27-year-old has established himself as a key member of the Milan side since arriving at the club in 2001.
Pirlo was linked with a move away from the Rossoneri earlier this summer with a number of clubs thought to be vying for his signature.
However, Milan have managed to convince the classy playmaker to extend his stay with the club.
The news will come as a massive boost to Milan ahead of this weekend’s opening Serie A game with Lazio.
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