TORRES AND FABREGAS IN SPAIN SQUAD

 

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque has named injured trio Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta in his initial 30-man World Cup squad, while uncapped Barcelona forward Pedro is also included.

 

Del Bosque has selected five goalkeepers in the list, with uncapped duo Victor Valdes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid youngster David De Gea likely to be battling out with Villarreal's Diego Lopez to see who will be joining Iker Casillas and Jose Reina in the final squad.

 

Provisional Squad:

Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), David De Gea (Atletico Madrid), Diego Lopez (Villarreal), Jose Reina (Liverpool) Victor Valdes (Barcelona), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid) Cesar Azpilicueta (Osasuna), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergi Busquets (Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao) Marcos Senna (Villarreal), David Silva (Valencia), Xavi (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Villarreal), Jesus Navas (Sevilla), Juan Manuel Mata (Valencia) Pedro Rodriguez (Barcelona), Dani Guiza (Fenerbache) Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla), Fernando Torres (Liverpool FC) and David Villa (Valencia). 

 

BOLA BOYZ

REINA ACCEPTS LIVERPOOLS HELLISH SEASON

 

Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina offered no excuses after reflecting on a "hell of a year" at the club. A seventh-place finish was the Reds' worst performance in the Barclays Premier League since 1999, compounding early exits from the Champions League and FA Cup earlier in the campaign.

 

Reina was one of few to come out of the campaign with credit and that was recognised with him being overwhelmingly voted the club's player of the season. But he said that could not lessen the disappointment of a dismal campaign which saw Liverpool suffer 11 league defeats, eight of which came away from home.

 

BOLA BOYZ

CARRAGHER & COLE IN ENGLAND SQUAD

 

Jamie Carragher and Joe Cole have been included in Fabio Capello's provisional 30-man squad for this summer's World Cup in South Africa. It will be reduced to 23 players by June 1.

 

Liverpool stalwart Carragher, who announced his retirement in 2007, returns to provide cover in defence with Gary Neville overlooked entirely. Chelsea midfielder Cole has been plagued by injury for large parts of this season but his goal against Manchester United helped convince Capello he is worth another look.

 

Provisional Squad:

David James (Portsmouth), Robert Green (West Ham United), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), John Terry (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Matthew Upson (West Ham United), Michael Dawson (Tottenham Hotspur), Leighton Baines (Everton), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), James Milner (Aston Villa), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham Hotspur), Scott Parker (West Ham United), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Darren Bent (Sunderland), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur).

 

BOLA BOYZ

BENITEZ WANTS TO STAY ON

 

Rafa Benitez last night insisted he does want to lead Liverpool into a new season. The fact it will start little more than two weeks after the World Cup ends shows exactly what a pig's ear they have made of the current one. A week or so ago, Benitez' six-year reign on Merseyside looked certain to be over, with Juventus knocking on his door, a nightmare campaign drawing to an end, the club up for sale and the futures of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard in doubt.

 

Plenty of those doubts remain, after their worst campaign in a decade ended with a tame seventh spot, no Champions League place and Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and Co sure to test the loyalty of Anfield's big names in the coming months. But as far as Kop boss Benitez is concerned, he has no doubts about his own future any more.

 

BOLA BOYZ

SPAIN'S FINAL SQUAD IS READY

 

Spain national team coach Vicente del Bosque announced that he has finalised his list of 30 players for this summer's World Cup and has nearly decided on his final 23-man roster. Del Bosque revealed that much of the team will be holdovers from the Euro 2008 championship squad.

 

There are other youngsters that could yet receive opportunities, such as Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David De Gea. Barcelona goalkeeper, Victor Valdes, also received Del Bosque's praise. Del Bosque has already publicly declared that Iker Casillas is Spain's undisputed number one keeper while Pepe Reina is his backup.

 

Spain has three players over the 30-year-old mark in Joan Capdevila, Marcos Senna, and Carles Puyol and the Spanish coach highlighted the need to look for players to begin to fill those positions in the future. Some of the favourites mentioned in the press recently are Athletic Bilbao's Javi Martinez, Atletico Madrid's Alvaro Dominguez, and Espanyol's Victor Ruiz.

BOLA BOYZ  LIVERPOOL

KEWELL MAY MISS IT TOO

 

Australia midfielder Harry Kewell's hopes of arriving match-fit for next month's World Cup have dimmed after he suffered a relapse with his long-troubling groin injury, local media reported on Saturday.

 

Kewell, who played a few minutes for Galatasaray last week in his first competitive match since December, would miss the Turkish club's last two matches after re-injuring his groin, assistant coach Johan Neeskens was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.

 

Kewell, who returned to Australia for groin surgery earlier this year, is likely to be named on Tuesday in coach Pim Verbeek's 30-man preliminary squad for the finals, regardless of his fitness.

 

The former Leeds United and Liverpool player has only two weeks to recover before Australia's friendly against New Zealand in Melbourne on May 24, and will have just two other friendlies against Denmark and the United States to prove his match fitness.

 

BOLA BOYZ  LIVERPOOL

ANCELOTTI NOT INTERESTED IN TORRES

Carlo Ancelotti insists Chelsea have no reason to move for Fernando Torres this summer as they have enough attacking options at the club.

 

Last week, Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton rejected suggestions Torres could leave Anfield when he said there is "no intention" and "absolutely no reason" to sell the player, but reports have persisted that Chelsea and Manchester City are set to make a bid.

 

Yet while Roberto Mancini confirmed City are still looking to sign Torres despite missing out on the Champions League, Ancelotti has said he has no reason to try to sign the Spain striker this summer.

BOLA BOYZ  CHELSEA

CAPELLO INVITES CARRAGHER

Jamie Carragher is considering coming out of international retirement for the World Cup, while Ledley King is now almost certain of a place in next week's 30-man England squad. Carragher, 32, decided to retire from international duty to concentrate on Liverpool in 2007 when it was clear John Terry and Rio Ferdinand would be the long-term central pairing in England's defence. However, Fabio Capello has now asked Carragher to reconsider his decision and the player has indicated that he would consider coming out of international retirement for the tournament in South Africa.

 

BOLA BOYZ  CHELSEA

LIVERPOOL 4 - BURNLEY 0

In 2008/09 the Reds' Premier League title challenge was undermined by home draws against supposedly lesser opposition, but they had no such problems on Saturday as three goals from Yossi Benayoun sandwiched around a Dirk Kuyt strike earned the points.

 

Benayoun helped himself to a hat-trick as Liverpool produced a devastating performance to crush Burnley 4-0 at Anfield. Benayoun opened the scoring for the Reds and netted twice in the second half after Dirk Kuyt had also got in on the act.

BOLA BOYZ  LIVERPOOL

LIVERPOOL 1 - ASTON VILLA 3

Liverpool slumped to their second Premier League defeat in nine days as they lost 3-1 to Aston Villa to put their title credentials firmly on the line.

 

Villa produced a defiant, organised display and deserved their first win at Anfield since 2001.

 

Lucas own goal and a Curtis Davies header saw Villa 2-0 up at the break. Fernando Torres pulled one back but an Ashley Young penalty settled the points.

BOLA BOYZ  LIVERPOOL