31-05-07

Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo will remain at Internazionale next season, according to his agent.

Fernando Hidalgo says Chelsea sent a fax to the Serie A champions to tell them they will not continue their attempts to bring the player back to London.

Crespo has been on loan at Inter since the beginning of the season and, although he agreed a two-year deal, Chelsea had the option to bring him back after one.

With Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou due to be absent for the African Nations Cup in January, Jose Mourinho indicated his intention to bring Crespo back to London to boost his side's firepower.

However, Crespo has repeatedly spoken of his desire to remain in Italy and it now seems he has got his wish.

"We have found an agreement with Inter for a one-year loan and a new two-year contract," Hidalgo told Gazzetta.it.

"We are happy because it was what we wanted."

31-05-07

England manager Steve McClaren is considering employing Ledley King as a defensive midfielder against Estonia with the barely-fit-again Michael Owen operating as a lone striker.

The Tottenham centre-half, used as a midfielder by Sven-Goran Eriksson two years ago in a friendly against Argentina, lined-up as part of a five-man midfield in training on Tuesday. Michael Carrick, the obvious replacement for the injured Owen Hargreaves, was overlooked as McClaren opted to augment the midfield used by Eriksson at last summer's World Cup with the Spurs skipper.

In a separate training exercise, McClaren deployed his troops in a conventional 4-4-2 formation, with David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole behind a front pairing of Owen and Alan Smith.

It remains to be seen which particular formation the England boss intends to use against Brazil on Friday night with McClaren once again stressing the importance of having "a plan B or an alternative" during his press conference. While much of that discourse centred on the recall of Beckham, it is the use of Owen which could prove the biggest talking point over the coming week.

The striker is not physically suited to the role of a lone frontman, and his fitness is still questionable after playing just four games since suffering knee ligament damage last June. Against such weak opponents as Estonia, who have conceded ten goals without scoring one in reply in their five European Championship qualifiers to date, playing King rather than offering Owen support would be a much-derided act of unnecessary conservatism.

30-05-07

Steve McClaren is facing a major Euro 2008 defensive headache after Rio Ferdinand and Michael Dawson were ruled out of next week's crucial trip to Estonia.

With Gary Neville, Ashley Cole, Jonathan Woodgate and Micah Richards already missing, it leaves McClaren without three of his four first-choice defenders, plus back up for both full-back positions, as Wayne Bridge is also a major doubt for Friday's friendly with Brazil at Wembley.

Ferdinand has been struggling for some time to shake off the groin injury he picked up in Manchester United's FA Cup semi-final win over Watford last month.

Although he was able to return for the Red Devil's successful title run-in and complete the entire 120 minutes in the FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea, the 29-year-old was not comfortable and after missing training yesterday, McClaren accepted there was no point pushing the former West Ham skipper any more.

The same is also true of Dawson, who thought he had done enough in the England B win over Albania in Burnley last Friday to force himself on to the bench in Tallinn.

Instead, McClaren will be forced to play mix and match at the back, with Liverpool's Jamie Carragher and Tottenham's Ledley King vying for the right to partner skipper John Terry in central defence.

If Carragher gets the nod, Phil Neville is almost certain to step into the right-back role.

And, while McClaren believes Bridge should have recovered from his hip problem in time to face Estonia, the acute injury problems affecting the England camp now make Reading's Nicky Shorey a virtual certainty to earn his first full cap against Brazil.

For the England coach at least, the selection issues at the back overshadow the return of former skipper David Beckham.

The former Manchester United star will win his 95th cap - and his first since last summer's World Cup - in a familiar right-sided midfield role, with Steven Gerrard set to partner Frank Lampard in the centre and Joe Cole on the left.

Like Beckham, Michael Owen will return to the international arena after a long absence, with Alan Smith tipped to land the second striker's slot at the expense of Peter Crouch.

30-05-07

Premiership referee Graham Poll has confirmed his retirement.

The former World Cup official took charge of his last match in England in the Coca-Cola Championship play-off final at Wembley yesterday.

He will bow out after next Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifier between Finland and Belgium in Helsinki.

The 43-year-old's decision had been widely expected and the Professional Game Match Officials Limited today confirmed they had accepted his resignation.

Poll, from Tring, has had a successful career at the top level but will be best remembered for the controversies, not least at last year's World Cup.

Poll infamously showed Croatia's Josip Simunic three yellow cards before sending him off in a match against Australia in Germany.

He first began refereeing in the Premiership in 1995 and quickly earned a reputation for showing cards.

Despite that he went on to become one of the most respected referees in the English game and was appointed to other major tournaments at Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup. He also took charge of the FA Cup final in 2000.

The way Poll has decided to bow out is said to have angered his boss Keith Hackett, the general manager of the PGMO.

Poll is understood to have informed commercial agents and the media of his retirement before his employer.

A statement read: "The PGMO can today confirm it has received, and accepted, Graham Poll's resignation."

(reopens) Hackett said Poll's decision to retire was a blow.

He told Sky Sports News: "I know that around the world they think very highly of him.

"That's the mark of him being a top-quality referee.

"We will be sorry to lose him. Graham has been for many years a world-class referee."