Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers expects Daniel Sturridge to make his long-awaited return to action by mid-to-late January.
England striker Sturridge has been limited to just three Premier League appearances this season the last of which came at Tottenham in August.
Sturridge was originally ruled out after sustaining a thigh injury when on England duty in September and has since suffered two setbacks in his recovery.
The 25-year-old has been undergoing treatment for the issue in Boston, but is set to return to Liverpool in the coming days to finalise his rehabilitation programme.
He will be back here to finalise his rehab in early January, Rodgers said on Wednesday.
He should be back playing mid-to-late January.
A return for Sturr…
Greece coach Fernando Santos has dismissed suggestions his team are too defensive to be successful at Euro 2012.
The 2004 European Championship winners conceded just five goals in 10 qualifying matches, and their road to victory eight years ago was based on a compact defensive.
But Santos said it was important for his side to be strong in attack if they were to advance from Group A, which also features co-hosts Poland, Russia and the Czech Republic.
The game has got several stages an offensive phase and a defensive phase, and both are equally important, Santos said.
The team must do a good job in both otherwise we wouldn t be a successful team.
Otto Rehhagel led Greece to the shock win in 2004, but left after they failed to get past the group…
Vicente del Bosque began his reign as Spanish coach with his sideÂ’s 3-0 win over Denmark but said there was plenty of room for improvement for the European champions ahead of next monthÂ’s World Cup qualifiers.
“We started badly, we were slow and over cautious,†the former Real Madrid boss told reporters after the friendly in Copenhagen.
“Denmark were better than us in the first half but we reacted well and ended up playing a good game against high level opposition.Ââ€
Spain were in muted form in the opening minutes of a match that was overshadowed by news that over 150 people had been killed in an air crash at the Madrid airport earlier in the day.
Denmark had several chances to take the l…
Pep Guardiola s prediction of a complicated trip to Burnley proved to be correct, as the Clarets made the most of Manchester City s wastefulness to snatch a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
Despite their profligacy, City had looked on course for a battling win, until Johann Gudmundsson popped up in the 83rd minute to snatch a point.
City boss Guardiola was forced to shrug off claims from Manchester United counterpart Jose Mourinho that the destination of the Premier League title is already certain, with the leaders enjoying a 15-point cushion at the top.
That advantage was 16 points by the full-time whistle at Turf Moor, and City are just eight wins away from securing a third title, although they were reminded of the league s many hazards by Sean Dyche s obdurate outfit.
Verdict: Both teams to score – yes
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Everton are in desperate need of a strong response following last weekend’s hammering at Arsenal but relegation-threatened Crystal Palace are not to be taken likely despite their inconsistent run of late.
Everton
The appointment of Sam Allardyce as new Everton manager did see the Toffees turn things around and get back up on their feet but Everton have quickly lost momentum and find themselves amidst a poor patch in the Premier League.
With only one win from their last eight league games, Allardyce’s men are coming off from a disappointing 5-1 defeat at the Emirates last time out with Everton boss describing his team’s performance as ‘pathetic’. Allardyce will be urging his sid…
Rio Ferdinand has backed France midfielder Paul Pogba to become the best midfielder in the world.
Pogba has caught the eye with some outstanding displays as Didier Deschamps side have moved into the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
France were not talked up as potential challengers to be crowned world champions for a second time, but have emerged as serious contenders as they prepare to lock horns with Germany in the last eight on Friday.
Pogba s influence has not been lost on Ferdinand, who has not been surprised by the impact the Juventus man has made on the world stage after seeing him at close quarters during his time at Manchester United before the 21-year-old opted to join the Serie A champions.
The former England defender said in his…
Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain are pondering a summer bid for Roma starlet Erik Lamela, Tuttosport has revealed.
PSG owners are determined to build on this season s success and edge closer to turning the club into European powerhouses.
With Carlo Ancelotti not exactly spoilt for choices up front and Kevin Gameiro set to leave, the Saints are believed to be readying a summer swoop for Roma forward Erik Lamela.
The Argentine has largely impressed ever since he joined the Giallorossi from River Plate, and quickly developed into a key player at Stadio Olimpico.
As a result, Roma chiefs have no desire to sell their prized asset, although they might be tempted if a mega offer was to arrive from Parc des Princes.
Erik Lamela, who was paid €15 mill…
Harry Kane is hoping to lead England to Euro 2024 glory in Germany next summer but admits he is still struggling with the language since joining Bayern Munich in August.
The England captain left Tottenham for the Allianz Arena in a deal that could be worth £100million and has already settled into life in Bavaria, scoring three goals in three Bundesliga appearances.
However, while he seems to already be on the same wavelength as his new team-mates on the pitch, Kane revealed his German lessons have not yet taken off.
…
Andrea Pirlo gave Cristiano Ronaldo his backing after the Juventus superstar spurned a chance to earn the Serie A champions a valuable win from the penalty spot against Atalanta.
Ronaldo saw his 61st-minute spot-kick smothered by Atalanta goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini in Wednesday s 1-1 draw as Juve missed the opportunity to make up ground on unbeaten Serie A leaders Milan.
Federico Chiesa had fired Juve into a 29th-minute lead only to see his stunning long-range effort cancelled out by Remo Freuler s powerful strike to pull the visitors level approaching the hour-mark.
When Chiesa was brought down by Hans Hateboer four minutes later, five-time Ballon d Or winner Ronaldo stepped up from 12 yards and slotted the ball into a diving Gollini s arms.
Ronaldo h…
Two goals in five minutes from Kyle Lafferty ensured Northern Ireland maintained the pressure on Euro 2016 qualifying Group F leaders Romania with a 2-1 victory against Finland.
The Norwich City striker, out on loan at Rizespor, provided the quality to complement the hosts control with two smart finishes in the first half to take his tally for the qualifying campaign to five.
Finland pulled one back in added time when Berat Sadik reacted quickest to a rebound in the box, but it was too little too late.
Michael O Neill s side have now won four of their five Group F matches and sit just a point behind Romania.
This key fixture was staged against the backdrop of religious protests at the first international fixture to be played in the country on…