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A round-up of today's soccer news in brief

Woodgate played through the pain

Tottenham centre back Jonathan Woodgate has emerged as a doubt for the Premier League clash at Birmingham tomorrow after playing through the pain of a sprained ankle during the last weekend's League Cup final.

The 28-year-old picked up the injury in the first half of the win over Chelsea but did not tell Spurs medical staff until after the final whistle following his Wembley winner.

Woodgate's career has included a series of injury disappointments but this one is not considered serious.

However, Spurs manager Juande Ramos said before the final: "The decision to buy him came after 15 to 18 months playing regularly, with his injury history over with. If he goes on the same lines he will be indispensable."

McFadden 'worth every penny'

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish believes striker James McFadden is already looking a bargain signing at €6.5 million from Everton last month.

McFadden has settled well at St Andrews with three goals in the last two games against West Ham and Arsenal. McLeish said: "Unfortunately in the Premier League when you ask about a player, the asking price normally starts at £4million and then goes upwards. "That is the league we are in and the big money that is involved in the Premier League. But I have to say that James is already looking worth every penny."

Kaka signs

AC Milan have extended Brazilian playmaker Kaka's contract by two years until June 2013, the European champions announced yesterday. "Ricky (Kaka) has repeatedly said that he wants to become a symbol of this team," Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani told the club's website (www.acmilan.com).

"He is, he is the greatest player in the world, he has decided to tie himself definitively to the Rossoneri colours.

"This is the contract of his life. I hope to be able to do another contract in 2013, but this is proof that Kaka will keep delighting our fans for all of his career."

The World Player of the Year was the driving force behind Milan's victorious Champions League campaign last season, scoring 10 goals on the way to the final.

Real Madrid tried to tempt Milan to sell Kaka throughout last summer with an €80 million offer

 Ireland to play friendly in London

The Republic of Ireland will face Colombia in a friendly at Fulham's Craven Cottage on Thursday, May 29th. The game has been arranged for the London venue because Croke Park is unavailable on that date. The game will serve as new manager Giovanni Trapattoni's second in charge and will conclude an intense initial period spent with the players in the build-up to the 2010 World Cup qualifying programme.

The veteran Italian will first conduct a week-long training camp in Portugal in the build-up to a friendly with Serbia at Croke Park on May 24th.

 Everton lift League Cup

Arsenal Ladies suffered their first domestic defeat for almost two years as Everton completed a huge upset to win the English FA Women's Premier League Cup for the first time in their history.

Arsenal were overwhelming favourites going into last night's final at Leyton Orient's Stadium but lost 1-0 courtesy of a first-half goal from Amy Kane.

Arsenal, who became the first club to win the quadruple last season, had won every domestic match this term before last night's game.

The last 10 minutes saw wave after wave of Arsenal pressure with Julie Fleeting flashing a header wide after escaping her marker.

Some last gasp defending secured Everton Ladies a deserved victory and a trophy at long last to end Arsenal's dominance.

Richards out

Manchester City and England full back Micah Richards will be out for six weeks following an operation on damaged cartilage in his right knee, City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has said.

Richards (19) will definitely miss England's friendly with France on March 26th but should be back for his club, who are challenging for a place in Europe, before the end of the season.