A round-up of today's other stories in brief
McClean snub brushed aside
GARETH McAuley has brushed aside James McClean’s decision to snub Northern Ireland and says the team’s Euro 2012 hopes will not be sidetracked by the issue.
Nigel Worthington handed the Sunderland-bound ex-Derry City forward a first call-up for tomorrow’s Group C qualifier at home to the Faroe Islands only for the 22-year-old to withdraw, citing a desire to represent the Republic of Ireland. McClean had played for Northern Ireland at youth and under-21 level.
McAuley said: “We are a group of players and we see it like this: if someone wants to play for us, great. If not, we’re not interested,” he said.
“If someone has to think about playing for Northern Ireland then we aren’t interested (in them).”
Josh McQuoid (hamstring) and Martin Paterson (thigh) have joined first-choice striker Kyle Lafferty (hernia) on the treatment table, with question marks also lingering over the fitness of Warren Feeney.
Worthington has recalled Linfield’s Peter Thompson.
Spurs scheduled to play despite riots
TOTTENHAM’S game against Everton on Saturday is still scheduled to go ahead despite a third night of rioting breaking out in London, the club confirmed yesterday.
Tottenham High Road, the place where the initial violence erupted on Saturday night, is located less than a mile from Spurs’ White Hart Lane home.
Police are expected to monitor the situation over the next 48 hours, but as it stands, both clubs are planning for the match as normal.
A club statement said: “We can advise fans that at this stage the game is going ahead.”
Cleverley gets England call-up
MANCHESTER United midfielder Tom Cleverley has been handed his first England call-up following the withdrawals of Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere and United’s Michael Carrick from the squad to host the Netherlands tomorrow.
Chelsea’s Frank Lampard also withdrew from the squad last night with a throath infection.
Cleverley (21), yet to play in the Premier League, impressed in Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley.
Chelsea on verge of signing Lukaku
CHELSEA are expected to wrap up the signing of Romelu Lukaku within the next 72 hours after the Anderlecht striker arrived in London yesterday for a medical.
The two clubs agreed a fee, thought to be between €17 million and €23 million, on Saturday night.
Lukaku is expected to return to Belgium to report for international duty before coming back to London on Thursday to finalise the deal following his country’s home friendly against Slovenia.
Lukaku’s power, pace and eye for goal have seen him compared with current Blues striker Didier Drogba.
His record at the Belgian club is impressive. He made his first-team debut when he was 16 and has averaged almost a goal every two games in the league.
Brady's fresh start with under-21s
ROBBIE BRADY is aiming to start a new chapter this evening when he leads the Republic of Ireland attack for the under-21 friendly against Austria at the Showgrounds in Sligo (6pm).
The Manchester United winger, who made his full league debut for on-loan club Hull City last Friday, was the high-profile casualty from Paul Doolin’s Under-19 squad for last month’s European Championships in Romania.
Doolin’s former captain Brady, along with his new under-21 boss Noel King, was keen to play down the disagreement which centred on his failure to report for the under-19 elite qualifiers in May.
“This is a new start for me at under-21 level and is totally different,” said the 19-year-old Dubliner.
“I can’t wait for this game tonight because the Uefa qualifiers kick-off a few weeks’ time. I’m familiar with most of the lads but the match is about working towards the first qualifier (against Hungary on September 1st).”
REP OF IRELAND (probable): McLoughlin (MK Dons); Connolly (Bolton), Duffy (Everton), Gunning (Blackburn Rovers), Stevens (Shamrock Rovers); Clifford (Chelsea), Kiernan (Wigan Athletic), Hendrick (Derby County); Brady (Hull City), Mason (Cardiff City), Doran (Inverness CT).
Mancini to decide on City captaincy as Tevez returns
CARLOS Tevez will discover this week whether he is to lose the Manchester City captaincy after reluctantly returning to training yesterday to renew his relationship with a club he had hoped would now form part of his past.
Roberto Mancini is aware there is a strength of feeling among the supporters, as well as in the dressingroom, for Vincent Kompany to take over as captain from a man who has made it clear he is in Manchester against his will.
Mancini regards Kompany as a more deserving candidate and his only reservation is the potential for more problems with Tevez, given there is still the possibility he may be heavily reliant on the Argentinian when the season starts.
Tevez, who has repeatedly stated his desire to leave the club, had been given a three-week break after Copa America and took part in a 20-minute training session yesterday.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Joe Hart has signed a new contract that will commit him to Eastlands for the next five years.
