Barca’s Messi set to face Man Utd

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is set to win his fitness battle for the Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester United on 23 April.

Argentine sensation Messi, 20, has been named in the Barca squad for Saturday’s La Liga game against Recreativo Huelva.

He tore a muscle in his left thigh in the Champions League last 16 game against Celtic on 4 March and has been recovering from injury in Argentina.

Barca are without Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho for the rest of the season.

The 28-year-old, who has struggled to hold down a regular place this season, pulled a leg muscle in training last week.

Barca forwards Thierry Henry and Bojan Krkic picked up knocks in the European game against Schalke on Wednesday, while midfielder Andres Iniesta has a knee problem.

Portuguese midfielder Deco has missed the last month with a calf injury, but he may still be fit for the first leg.

source:bbcsports

Man Utd 1-0 Roma (agg 3-0)

Carlos Tevez struck as Manchester United defeated Roma to seal a Champions League semi-final match-up with Barcelona.

Roma should have taken the lead from the penalty spot after a foul by Wes Brown but Daniele de Rossi smashed the ball high over the crossbar.

Edwin van der Sar denied Mirko Vucinic as Roma threatened but Ryan Giggs and Owen Hargreaves forced saves from Doni.

And Tevez scored with a diving header from Hargreaves’ cross to seal the tie.

The Argentine struck after 70 minutes and it was a goal that punctured any lingering hopes Roma harboured of a dramatic comeback.

The Italians had been left stunned after their 2-0 defeat in Rome but, after enduring a poor start to the second leg, they showed great spirit to rattle their opponents.

And they might have ensured an extremely nervous evening for United had De Rossi not been so wasteful with his penalty kick after 29 minutes.

Ferguson relishing Barcelona test

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is excited by the prospect of playing Barcelona after his team defeated Roma in the Champions League.

Carlos Tevez scored as United won the second-leg 1-0 to secure a 3-0 victory on aggregate over Roma - and set up a semi-final tie with the Catalan giants.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Ferguson. “I think that we have something special in our team.

“We cannot go to Spain and be negative, we must be positive.”

United last met Barcelona in the Champions League in 1998 when their group encounter at the Nou Camp ended in a 3-3 draw.

But United won the Champions League final at the Nou Camp in 1999, with a spectacular 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich.

The first leg of this year’s tie will also take place in Spain, on 22 or 23 April, with the return leg at Old Trafford on 29 or 30 April.

Barca defender Carles Puyol will be missing from the first leg after picking up a yellow card in the 1-0 win over Schalke.

FA’s Aliadiere ruling angers Boro

Middlesbrough have accused the Football Association of double standards after losing their appeal against Jeremie Aliadiere’s red card at Liverpool. The FA deemed Boro’s appeal “frivolous” and added an extra game’s suspension to the striker’s initial three-match ban.

The verdict infuriated Boro chief Keith Lamb, who said Chelsea’s appeal against Michael Essien’s three-match ban was rejected but not thought “frivolous”.

“There is one rule for the big boys and another for the rest of us,” said Lamb.

However, FA spokesman Mark Hooper told BBC Sport: “The FA refutes any suggestion that certain clubs are treated differently to others. All cases are treated on merit.

Neville makes fresh comeback bid

Manchester United defender Gary Neville played 60 minutes for the club’s reserve team on Tuesday in his latest attempt to return from injury. The 33-year-old right-back has not played first-team football for nearly a year and has been plagued by calf and ankle problems over the past 11 months.

Neville has made a number of comebacks only to suffer further setbacks.

United’s second-string lost 2-0 to their Liverpool counterparts with goals from Xabi Alonso and Harry Kewell.

United’s reserves also included keeper Ben Foster on the bench as he continues his comeback from knee surgery in the summer.

source:bbcsports

Beckham in England fitness battle

David Beckham concedes he faces an uphill battle to win a coveted 100th England cap against France on 26 March. England boss Fabio Capello did not pick Beckham, 32, for this month’s win over Switzerland and he fears a lack of fitness could see him sidelined again.

“I’ve no match fitness,” said Beckham, who plays for LA Galaxy in Korea on Saturday. “All I’ve done is training.

“I would love to reach the 100 caps, but I have to be physically ready to be part of the team.”

The former England captain played under Capello at Real Madrid and, though the Italian says Beckham is still part of his plans, the midfielder accepts his selection policy.

“I’ve played for Capello before, and he’s a great manager,” Beckham said.

“He is a manager that will pick players that are fit enough. I understand he selected others who played more games.”

Man Utd fined for seven bookings

Manchester United have incurred an automatic £25,000 fine from the Football Association for having seven players booked against Tottenham. Edwin van der Sar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wes Brown, Nani, Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez were all booked in Saturday’s 1-1 draw.

The fine is imposed any time a team gets six or more yellow cards.

If six or more United stars are booked again in a single game this season then the club will be fined £50,000.

However, United will not face any disciplinary action after a number of players remonstrated with the assistant referee after Tottenham’s goal.

Mascherano set for permanent deal

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano says he expects to complete a permanent move to the Anfield club this week. The Argentine is registered as a Reds player on a long-term loan from Media Sports Investments (MSI), the consortium that ‘owns’ the player.

The 23-year-old said: “I have a lot of confidence that, after the next week, I can say ‘everything is right and I am staying here in Liverpool’.

“We now need to wait. We are very close but we need to talk again.”

He can sign for Liverpool outside the transfer window because he does not belong to another club.

Beckham left out of England squad

David Beckham has been left out of Fabio Capello’s first England squad to play Switzerland on 6 February. It means Beckham will be left still searching for his 100th cap, although Capello has not fully closed the door on the 32-year-old former captain.

Capello, who also dropped Beckham at Real Madrid, is thought to have had doubts over his match fitness.

The Italian will name his provisional party at 1530 GMT on Thursday, with the final squad announced on Saturday.

Beckham has not played a competitive game since England’s Euro qualifying defeat by Croatia on 21 November.

However, Beckham has been training at Arsenal and told BBC World in Brazil on Tuesday that he “is as fit as I can be. I’m fit and sharp and I’m ready to be selected”.

Ronaldo savours his ‘best’ goal

Cristiano Ronaldo described his sublime free-kick in Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Portsmouth on Wednesday as the finest goal of his career. Ronaldo, 22, struck a spectacular 25-yard free-kick which dipped viciously at the last moment and gave Pompey keeper David James no chance.

“That was probably my best-ever goal,” said the Portuguese winger.

“I work for this in training and I’m very pleased to score. I shoot the way I do because it is my strength.”

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson felt Ronaldo’s goal - his second of the game - was the best deadball strike he has seen in the Premier League.

“This free-kick was as good as any I’ve seen in the Premiership, though. It was two or three inches underneath the bar and no goalkeeper could have saved that.

“From that distance, he is always going to hit them.