madristar

[url="http://img235.imagevenue.com

Born on 29 may,1986 Gij

credit to denise22

Chelsea confident over Lampard Chelsea are confident Frank Lampard will be available to face Bolton after revealing that he only picked up a "minor" calf injury. Lampard went for a scan after picking up the knock in training but fears that the 32-year-old would be facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines were allayed by the club this morning. A statement on the club's website read: "Frank Lampard is suffering from a minor calf problem which will be monitored over the next few days. "The midfielder, who has played every minute of our last six matches since Christmas, is expected to be available for Bolton on Monday night." The news comes as a relief to the Barclays Premier League champions, who have had to do without Lampard for the majority of the season thanks to a hernia and groin problem that was initially expected to rule him out only for a few weeks. The former West Ham midfielder was out for four months from August but made a successful return to the team against Tottenham in December. The England man scored twice in Chelsea's 7-0 demolition of Ipswich in the FA Cup third round 11 days ago and has been instrumental in the slight upturn in form at the club, who now sit fourth in the league after a poor run which coincided with Lampard's absence. Lampard spoke today of his delight at returning to the Chelsea first team over the festive period. "I tried to keep fit during the injury by doing everything I could without harming it," he told Chelsea's official website. "I did a lot of running and got myself as fit as I could for coming back and then I just had to try to adapt to games quickly which is the toughest bit, finding the sharpness which you can never reproduce the conditions for when you are out for a while, so I was pleased to get through the tight schedule of games and I felt pretty good in most of them, maybe not so much the Wolves match because my groin felt a bit funny, but other than that I felt quite good." Chelsea missed out on adding to their midfield ranks this week when Steven Pienaar chose to join London rivals Tottenham ahead of them in a £3million deal.

Chelsea relief as Lampard passed fit Chelsea breathed a huge sigh of relief as it was confirmed Frank Lampard's calf injury is not as serious as first feared. Lampard, who has missed the majority of the season with a hernia and groin problem, pulled his calf in training on Wednesday and it had been feared that the 32-year-old could be out for two to three weeks. But the club revealed in a statement this morning that scans had shown the injury to be only a minor problem and the midfielder will be in the squad for Monday's crucial match at Bolton. The England midfielder has been a crucial part in Chelsea's slight upturn in form since his return last month and has played the Blues' last six games. The former West Ham man spoke this morning of his delight at returning to action from his groin and hernia injury, which was initially only supposed to rule him out for a few weeks. "I tried to keep fit during the injury by doing everything I could without harming it," Lampard told Chelsea's website. "I did a lot of running and got myself as fit as I could for coming back and then I just had to try to adapt to games quickly which is the toughest bit, finding the sharpness which you can never reproduce the conditions for when you are out for a while. "So I was pleased to get through the tight schedule of games and I felt pretty good in most of them, maybe not so much the Wolves match because my groin felt a bit funny, but other than that I felt quite good." Chelsea were top of the Barclays Premier League when Lampard picked up the original injury in August but the team faltered in his absence, winning seven, losing five and drawing once without him in the side. He has been impressive since his return, scoring twice in the recent 7-0 demolition of Ipswich in the FA Cup, and Chelsea now head to the Reebok Stadium looking to record their first successive league wins since October. Carlo Ancelotti had hoped to have Steven Pienaar in his squad for Monday's game but the midfielder turned down a transfer to Stamford Bridge to move to local rivals Tottenham yesterday. One person who benefited from Lampard's absence was 17-year-old academy product Josh McEachran. The midfielder has been tipped for a bright future at the club and Lampard is keen to become a key figure in the teenager's development. "You do have to take that responsibility on," Lampard said. "Other clubs show great examples of that with players like Ryan Giggs helping people around them. "Particularly with young Josh coming into midfield it is quite a nice responsibility. He is going to be a top player and it is enjoyable to try to help him. "I enjoy playing with the young players because they bring a real freshness into the team and into training. "Josh has outstanding ability so although I talk to him to try to help him, probably very soon he will be helping me." Chelsea have been criticised for their limited activity in the transfer market after releasing the likes of Joe Cole, Deco, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti last summer. But Lampard is convinced that the group of youngsters who are now challenging to take their places are determined to prove themselves. Lampard added: "If there is a way you can tell the lads to work on their weaknesses I will because it needs to be done, but to be fair to the lads who are training with us now like Josh, Jeffrey Bruma, Pat van Aanholt, they want to work, they want to improve. "The individual side of training certainly makes you a better player if you work hard on aspects of your game like that."

Real civil war has Mourinho on edge Jose Mourinho's reign at Real Madrid is on shaky ground again following another spat with sporting director Jorge Valdano. The 'Special One' and Valdano clashed earlier in the season and this week the pair were again at odds over the club's transfer policy. Mourinho is under pressure to sign cover for injured Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain who is a long term injury absentee following back surgery. Moves for Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Llorente and Hamburg's Ruud Van Nistelrooy have not progressed in a positive fashion and last weekend's 1-1 draw with struggling Almeria highlighted the need for a speedy resolution. In the game against Almeria, Mourinho opted to leave his remaining out-and-out striker Karim Benzema on the bench - a move criticised by Valdano. And as Chelsea fans will tell you, the Portuguese is not one to take too kindly to board members tearing apart the work he does on the field. "I am not the one to talk to about the strikers," Mourinho was quoted in the Daily Mirror as saying. "I did all that in pre-season, when I said we needed more than two, and in November, when we all knew he needed to give Higuain time to recover. "So I am not saying anything. You can speak to the people who send messages. I've got to where I am because I think for myself. I'm too old for them to send me messages in newspapers. "I'm a dinosaur and don't go for that. I make my choices and if I have questions, I ask for advice from my staff." When asked further if his comments were directed at Valdano and club president Florentino Perez, Mourinho responded: "You see ghosts and films of suspense and terror in everything I say." The Daily Mirror reckons several top clubs in England including Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are now closely monitoring the situation to see whether Mourinho would do the unthinkable and walk out on Real at the end of the season. Mourinho's past admissions of his longing to return to the Premier League have constantly fueled speculation that he is in line to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at United when the Scot finally retires. However, it remains to be seen how strained the relationship between Mourinho and the club's hierachy will be in the coming weeks as the January transfer window edges closer to shutting. Club captain, Iker Casillas is one person who believes Mourinho will not quit. "Jose Mourinho wants to stay and Real Madrid wants him to stay. I can say this as I'm the captain," he told Onda Cero radio. "We have a young team and he knows in the long run this will pay off. He loves the city and he loves the club. We know that Madrid has to achieve more right now. But remember, we're a young and new-look team." Real are in action on Thursday night when they face Atletico Madrid with a place in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey up for grabs. Real hold a 3-1 advantage from the opening leg. DISQUS...