Socer Shorts

A look at today's other news in brief

Benitez not wasting time

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is not for sale, manager Rafael Benitez insisted yesterday.

Real Madrid football director Benito Floro said earlier this week that he wanted to sign the England midfielder during the summer.

Benitez told reporters, however: "Steven Gerrard is not for sale. I don't want to waste my time talking about it.

"I have spoken to Steven and he knows the situation. He's a good player and people will always talk about him."

Nothing sure for Ballack

Bayern Munich midfielder Michael Ballack yesterday denied reports he has already agreed a move to Chelsea.

Reports yesterday in Germany stated the 29-year-old had agreed a four-year deal with the Premiership champions and claimed all that was left was for the Germany captain to put pen to paper.

Although Ballack has already admitted he is in "serious negotiations" with Chelsea, he insists the two parties are yet to reach an agreement. "That is rubbish, it's not true," he told reporters after training with Bayern yesterday.

Scholes sees a future

Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes intends to resume his career next season after six months out of action with an eye problem. Scholes has not played since the end of December because of a blocked vein in his right eye, leading to reduced vision.

But the 31-year-old former England international said the condition was improving. "I still have a bit of blurred vision in my right eye," he said, " but I am starting to step up training and I just want to get myself ready for next season."

Spurs to take it all the way

Tottenham are reportedly set to challenge Uefa's rules in the courts if they finish fourth in the Premiership but Arsenal win the Champions League and are allowed in next year's competition instead of their north London rivals.

According to rules introduced by Uefa last season, after Everton finished fourth but Liverpool won their fifth European Cup, Arsenal would take the place of Tottenham, who would instead be entered in the Uefa Cup.

The Daily Telegraph yesterday claimed that the English Premier League support Tottenham's inclusion in the Continent's flagship competition, and have already written to Uefa asking them to change the rules once more. That request was rejected by European football's governing body.

However, Spurs look set to carry on campaigning for their own inclusion, possibly even through the courts.

Duo rounded on by United

According to reports in the Spanish media Manchester United are closing in on the £16-million double summer signing of Argentine duo Juan Roman Riquelme and Aldo Duscher.Playmaker Riquelme has been watched by Ferguson all season and has helped Villarreal reach the last four of the Champions League after they qualified through the group stages at United's expense.

Midfielder Duscher will be allowed to leave Deportivo La Coruna at the end of the season and looks to be heading for Old Trafford too.

Time running out for Owen

England striker Michael Owen's battle for World Cup fitness will go right down to the wire after it was revealed he is likely to play only one game for Newcastle before the end of the season. The 26-year-old had been pencilled in for a return from his fractured metatarsal at Birmingham next weekend.

However, caretaker manager Glenn Roeder has admitted that is now unlikely, and that will leave only the final-day clash with Chelsea at St James' Park for Owen to get some football under his belt before preparations begin in earnest for the finals in Germany.

In brief . . .

London 2012 chiefs have executed a U-turn and now admit that a Premiership team such as West Ham may be allowed to move into the Olympic Stadium after the Games . . . Everton midfielder Lee Carsley's appeal against his sending-off against Chelsea has been rejected and he will miss the final three games of the season . . . Celtic insist any transfer request from unsettled midfielder Stilian Petrov (26) will be rejected . . . Rangers captain Barry Ferguson could miss this weekend's crucial Old Firm derby with an ankle injury . . . Drogheda-born midfielder Kevin Thornton (19) has agreed a two-year contract at Coventry after breaking through to the first-team this season.