Pro Eleven Headline News

Gerrard and Lampard to miss Germany friendly

England midfield duo Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were both ruled out Monday from Wednesday's friendly international away to Germany in Berlin because of injuries they both suffered last weekend.

Gerrard, who had been ruled out by his club following a groin injury sustained in Liverpool's victory over Bolton, reported to England's training camp on Sunday.

He was examined there by the medical staff of the Football Association (FA), who confirmed Liverpool's diagnosis.

Scans on Chelsea star Lampard revealed he would not be fit to play after suffering a rib injury in the win over West Brom.

England manager Fabio Capello called up Fulham's Jimmy Bullard and West Ham's Scott Parker as replacements for his frontline midfielders.

John Terry, a Chelsea team-mate of Lampard's, is expected to play after the centre-half came through a full training session on Monday without exacerbating a foot injury.

Meanwhile Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said it was uncertain if Gerrard would be fit for the Champions League group game at home to French side Marseille a week on Wednesday.

"We had to do a scan after the Bolton game because Steven said he had some pain in his groin," Benitez explained. "It is not a massive problem and we hope he will be ready to return in seven to 10 days."

England manager Fabio Capello had already made changes to his squad, recalling Paul Robinson after goalkeeper Joe Hart was ruled out with an ankle injury sustained in Manchester City's 2-2 draw with Hull on Sunday.

Manchester United duo Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney, both England regulars, were not even considered by Capello after missing last weekend's 5-0 win over Stoke with back and calf problems respectively.

And that leaves the Italian with potentially only three first-team players in goalkeeper David James, Terry and winger Theo Walcott for the match at the Olympic Stadium.


Lippi gives D'Agostino surprise call up for friendly

Italy coach Marcello Lippi named one new face to his 22-man squad for Wednesday's friendly in Greece by calling up Udinese midfielder Gaetano D'Agostino.

Lippi kept faith with a relatively young squad so D'Agostino's club team-mate Simone Pepe and Villarreal forward Giuseppe Rossi both kept their places.

But despite the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Gianluigi Buffon, Antonio Di Natale and Alberto Aquilani there was still no place for either Alessandro Del Piero or Antonio Cassano.

Del Piero's omission was no surprise as Lippi had said earlier in the month that he would use the match to have a look at some new blood.

"He will stay at home because he's someone I already know a lot about," he had said. "I want to freshen up the team and have a look at some new players, discover some new people."

World champions Italy have made a good start under Lippi's second stint in charge of the national team, winning three and drawing one of their first four World Cup qualifiers putting them top of Group Eight.

Greece are also top of Group Two after three wins and a defeat from their first four qualifiers.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Gianluca Curci (Siena), Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray/TUR)

Defenders: Daniele Bonera (AC Milan), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid/ESP), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool/ENG), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Lyon/FRA), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus)

Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Gaetano D'Agostino (Udinese), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Simone Perrotta (AS Roma)

Forwards: Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal/ESP), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich/GER)


PSG legend Pauleta hangs up his boots

Former Paris St Germain star Pauleta has announced his retirement at the age of 35.

Pauleta, Portugal and PSG's all-time leading goalscorer, has been out of contract since the summer. The striker, who scored 109 goals for the capital club, announced at the end of last season that he was set to call it a day but appeared to go back on his decision.

However, although he claims to have received interesting offers at home and abroad, Pauleta has now decided his initial decision was the right one.

"I decided to retire," he told French daily Le Parisien. "I took this decision at the end of last season at the end of my contract with PSG. "I feel it's the right time even if it's not easy.

"As I said before, it's becoming tricky for me with my repeated absences and the distance from those close to me.

"I've had interesting offers from Europe, the Persian gulf and the United States.

"I've been training every day. I think that in a month I would have been able to reach an acceptable level. But that's not my plan anymore."

Pauleta, who also spent three seasons at Bordeaux where he was Ligue 1's top scorer in 2002, claimed that he could have joined Monaco but could not bear the thought of competing against PSG again.

"Monaco effectively made me an offer, but I didn't want to play in Ligue 1 in a club other than PSG," he added.

So great is Pauleta's attachment to PSG, where he spent five seasons and twice finished as Ligue 1's top scorer, that he claims he will continue his involvement with the Parisian club as an ambassador.

"I have a meeting with the new president to approach this," he continued. "I agreed this in the extension of my contract with Alain Cayzac. It concerns an ambassadorial post but I don't have more precise details.

"What's certain is that I want to live in Acores for the moment. So why shouldn't I be PSG's eyes in Portugal and Spain to find them good players?"

Pauleta retired from international football after the 2006 World Cup, having scored a record 47 goals in 88 games for Portugal.

The two-time Ligue 1 footballer of the year also lists Deportivo La Coruna among his former clubs, who he helped fire to their only Primera Liga title to date in 2000.


Al Ahli win African Champions League

Egypt's Al Ahli won the African Champions League for a record sixth time on Sunday after beating Coton Sport of Cameroon 4-2 on aggregate.

A 2-2 draw in the second leg of the final in Garoua ensured success for the Cairo team after their 2-0 victory in the first leg two weeks ago.

Al Ahli, competing in the final for a fourth successive year, held off a second half comeback from their hosts to book a place at next month's World Club Cup in Japan.

They set up a handy lead on Sunday when veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan scored the opening goal, flicking home the ball off the outside of his right foot seven minutes from half-time at the end of a short corner routine.

The boisterous home crowd were given hope of a comeback when Karim Abdoul equalised with a shot from the edge of the penalty area on the stroke of half-time.

Coton Sport, needing three more goals to turn around the aggregate scoreline, took the game to their visitors after the break.

They managed one more goal just past the hour mark when Baba Ousmaila headed home from a free kick.

Despite running Al Ahli ragged, Coton Sport's strikers still spurned several good chances with Ousmaila and Daouda too hasty in executing their chances.

Al Ahli kept up their unbeaten run in the latter stages of this year's competition when Mohamed Barakat was pushed in Coton Sport's penalty area in second half added time and captain Shady Mohamed converted from the spot.

Al Ahli had previously held the record of five Champions League wins jointly with compatriots Zamalek.

Coton Sport were competing in the final for the first time, hoping to become the first side from Cameroon to win Africa's top club prize in 28 years.