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Scholes is stretchered off against Aalborg.
SCHOLES FACES LONG LAY-OFF

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Paul Scholes sustained medial ligament damage during Tuesday’s Champions League match against Aalborg and revealed the midfielder could be out for six to eight weeks.

Scholes had to be substituted after 16 minutes against United’s Danish opponents.

Although the team managed well without him, winning 3-0 in their Group E match, the loss of Scholes potentially until late November will be a significant blow to United.

The former England international was replaced following a challenge with Thomas Augustinussen.

Ryan Giggs came on as his replacement, and laid on the first goal for Wayne Rooney.

Speaking after the match, Ferguson revealed Scholes may face a lengthy lay-off, denying him the services of the 33-year-old whose experience is valued in the United midfield.

van Persie celebrates his first goal.
FOUR-STAR ARSENAL CRUSH PORTO

Arsenal put their weekend woes behind them as they moved to the top of Champions League Group G with an impressive 4-0 home win over Porto.

Robin van Persie (31 and 48) and Emmanuel Adebayor (40 and 71 pen) both scored twice at the Emirates Stadium to put the Gunners in charge of the group.

Manager Arsene Wenger failed to make the anticipated reshuffle following Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League home defeat to Hull, with the only change being Samir Nasri returning from injury in place of Emmanuel Eboue.

Porto, who had never won in 10 previous visits to England, put Arsenal under some early pressure but their goalkeeper Helton was soon called into action to deny first Theo Walcott and then van Persie.

However, the Portuguese champions then almost snatched the lead when Tomas Costa’s right-wing cross found Cristian Rodriguez - but his diving header hit the ground before deflecting off the crossbar.

Soon after, Manuel Almunia had to get across to keep out a curling Lisandro Lopez effort as Porto gamely matched their hosts’ counter-attacking brio.

But it was Arsenal who broke the deadlock on 31 minutes, Adebayor and van Persie combining expertly down the right of the area, creating space for the Togo international to look up and delay his pass to the onrushing van Persie who prodded the ball home.

The Gunners surged further ahead with five minutes of the half remaining when Adebayor leapt above Rolando to head van Persie’s corner towards the ground.

The ball bounced awkwardly for Helton and defender Nelson Benitez, who was stationed on the line, and the duo watched as it sailed over their heads and into the net.

On 48 minutes, van Persie grabbed his second goal. Walcott did the initial damage before the ball found its way to the Dutchman, who showed strength to fend off Bruno Alves and stab home.

Wenger made three substitutions in the space of seven minutes, with Nicklas Bendtner, Eboue and then Carlos Vela replacing van Persie, Nasri and Walcott.

The fourth goal then arrived from the penalty spot, Adebayor netting with ease after Freddy Guarin’s clumsy foul on Bendtner at the top of the box.

Arsenal will therefore travel to Sunderland for Saturday’s league game in good spirits, with their next European assignment away to Fenerbahce on October 21.

Two-goal hero van Persie said victory would go some way to making up for Saturday’s shock defeat.

He told ITV1: “After Saturday we were disappointed and today was a good day to make it up and make it right.

“It was a good game and good spirit from all of us and we deserved the win.”

Despite the European masterclass from his team, van Persie insisted Arsenal are not yet the finished article.

“It’s still early - it’s only the second game,” he said.

“It shows a little bit that we can play but we knew that before.”

Balshaw goes over for his first try.
WILKINSON INJURED IN FALCONS DEFEAT

Jonny Wilkinson’s injury jinx struck once again to leave Newcastle and England fretting over his fitness as his side slumped to a 39-23 defeat at Gloucester.

Wilkinson, whose Test career has been blighted by repeated injury setbacks since his drop-goal won England the 2003 World Cup, lasted just 25 minutes at Kingsholm as Gloucester posted a bonus-point Guinness Premiership victory.

He was helped away after appearing to hurt his knee when he was cleared out of a ruck which formed following a trademark Wilkinson tackle on Gloucester full-back Olly Morgan.

Newcastle battled bravely without their talisman as Gloucester struggled to impose themselves on the contest until late on.

The Falcons were ultimately undone by Gloucester wing Iain Balshaw’s hat-trick of tries and a late James Simpson-Daniel double, while fly-half Olly Barkley - an England autumn Test contender - booted four penalties and Willie Walker slotted a late conversion.

Hooker Matt Thompson’s opportunist 47th-minute touchdown from a lineout and centre Tom May’s breakaway score briefly cut the Gloucester advantage to just three points.

The Falcons finally wilted when Balshaw completed his hat-trick 13 minutes from time, although Newcastle still had enough about them to register a third try when captain Phil Dowson went over.

Wilkinson kicked a penalty, as did his replacement Rory Clegg, who also converted Dowson’s score.

Cahill gets his marching orders.
CAHILL FAILS IN RED-CARD APPEAL

Everton midfielder Tim Cahill has failed with an appeal against the red card he received in Saturday’s Merseyside derby.

It means the Australian will serve a three-match suspension, starting with the Premier League game against Newcastle on Sunday.

Cahill was sent off for “serious foul play” by referee Mike Riley following a challenge on Xabi Alonso in Everton’s 2-0 defeat by Liverpool.

The Football Association confirmed an independent regulatory commission had rejected Cahill’s appeal.

Balshaw goes over for his first try.
WILKINSON INJURED IN FALCONS DEFEAT

Jonny Wilkinson’s injury jinx struck once again to leave Newcastle and England fretting over his fitness as his side slumped to a 39-23 defeat at Gloucester.

Wilkinson, whose Test career has been blighted by repeated injury setbacks since his drop-goal won England the 2003 World Cup, lasted just 25 minutes at Kingsholm as Gloucester posted a bonus-point Guinness Premiership victory.

He was helped away after appearing to hurt his knee when he was cleared out of a ruck which formed following a trademark Wilkinson tackle on Gloucester full-back Olly Morgan.

Newcastle battled bravely without their talisman as Gloucester struggled to impose themselves on the contest until late on.

The Falcons were ultimately undone by Gloucester wing Iain Balshaw’s hat-trick of tries and a late James Simpson-Daniel double, while fly-half Olly Barkley - an England autumn Test contender - booted four penalties and Willie Walker slotted a late conversion.

Hooker Matt Thompson’s opportunist 47th-minute touchdown from a lineout and centre Tom May’s breakaway score briefly cut the Gloucester advantage to just three points.

The Falcons finally wilted when Balshaw completed his hat-trick 13 minutes from time, although Newcastle still had enough about them to register a third try when captain Phil Dowson went over.

Wilkinson kicked a penalty, as did his replacement Rory Clegg, who also converted Dowson’s score.

Smith - cleared to play.
SMITH BOOST FOR RHINOS

Leeds winger Lee Smith has been cleared to play in Saturday’s engage Super League Grand Final against St Helens.

Smith was placed on report for kicking Wigan second-rower Phil Bailey in the face during last Friday’s 18-14 play-off victory over the Warriors and was subsequently charged with a grade C offence.

The 22-year-old Smith, who scored two tries against Wigan and one in last year’s 33-6 Grand Final win over Saints, had faced a suspension of up to four matches when he appeared in front of the Rugby Football League’s disciplinary hearing.

Although he was found guilty at today’s hearing, which was held at the league’s Red Hall headquarters, of recklessly striking out, the panel decided not to impose a ban but fined him 300.

Ryan Hall, 20, who has shared the right-wing duties with Smith this year, would have been a straight replacement but Leeds coach Brian McClennan expressed his confidence that Smith would be cleared and he is set to name an unchanged team.

That will mean just one alteration to the side that beat Saints at Old Trafford a year ago.

Prop forward Nick Scruton, who has played in 29 of the Rhinos’ 34 competitive games this season, missed out last year through injury and will be appearing in his first major domestic showpiece after being a non-playing member of Leeds’ squad for the 2004 and 2005 Grand Finals.

The Leeds-born front-rower, who replaces injured centre Clinton Toopi with Carl Ablett switching from the pack to the threequarters, will be making his final appearance for the club before joining arch rivals Bradford on a three-year deal.

Scolari talks to the press on Tuesday.
SCOLARI WARNS CLUJ

Luiz Felipe Scolari has demanded Chelsea’s “football machine” dish out a stiff Champions League reality check to European minnows CFR Cluj on Wednesday night.

The Romanian double-winners produced a shock 2-1 victory away at Roma on their Champions League debut a fortnight ago and Wednesday promises to be the biggest night in the club’s 101-year history.

As a result, Scolari has been cautioning “respect for a dangerous opponent”, and he even went so far as to say it would not be a surprise if Chelsea lost in the three-sided Dr Constantin Radulescu stadium on Wednesday night.

But, in reality, unbeaten Chelsea are homing in on a ninth straight victory that would take them a giant step closer to qualifying for the second round of the Champions League.

“We have made a very good start to the season. Cluj are more confident than before because they beat Roma and they have good players - but we know that if we are to reach the second round we need to win,” said Scolari.

“When you win games you have more confidence, you are more strong. If we win tomorrow we have one foot in the second round.

“I think it will need 10 points to qualify and if we win tomorrow we will have six points. We would just need four more from four games.

“We want to reach the final and to win the final so it is a very good situation for us.”

Scolari has been trying to keep Chelsea’s Champions League expectations in check following the disappointment of last season’s final.

Ahead of his side’s opening win over Bordeaux - Scolari’s first Champions League match - the Brazilian insisted he would not be judged on Europe.

On Tuesday, Scolari was at pains to point out the qualities of a Cluj side packed with South Americans and Portuguese players, many of whom are familiar to him and have a point to prove.

“The attention of the world is not on Cluj, it is on Chelsea but their players want to change that. They want to show the world they are good players and catch the eye of other clubs,” said Scolari.

“They are in this competition because they have good players, they have something different to other teams in Romania.

“They need respect. We win many games in England now because we respect the opposition team.

“Tomorrow is the same. I have shown my players a DVD about Cluj. If they win tomorrow against Chelsea it is because they are better. It is not a surprise.”

But it would be a major surprise to the Transylvanian locals, 25,000 of whom will pack into the stadium on Wednesday night and create a bear-pit of an atmosphere for Chelsea.

Cluj, Romania’s oldest club and nicknamed the Railroaders, rocketed through the divisions following some heavy investment and last year became the first side from outside of Bucharest to win the league title in 17 years.

Like Scolari, Cluj head coach Maurizio Trombetta is new in charge this season and is taking the view that Cluj have “nothing to lose” against Chelsea.

Striker Yssouf Kone said: “I think Chelsea are four times stronger than Roma. When you play against them, you should run like crazy until the last minute.

“Chelsea are a football machine but in the end, it’s 11 against 11 and the pressure will be on Chelsea, not on us.

“If they beat us, it would be normal. If we beat them, it would be something fantastic.”

Having studied Scolari’s DVD, Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is preparing himself for a busy night.

“The strength of Cluj is that they play as a team,” he said.

“They are well organised. They had a plan against Roma which worked well. If there is one thing for me as a goalkeeper to be prepared for, it is that they the had a lot of attempts at goal.”

Chelsea have only conceded three goals all season, a major factor behind their unbeaten start to life under Scolari.

“When you are winning more games, you get more confidence. We have had several good games recently and if we can perform in the same way tomorrow we can win the game,” said Cech.

“Their win over Roma will surely be a driving force for Cluj - but we we know about (them) and we are ready for it.”

Keane - set for new deal.
QUINN CONFIDENT OF NEW KEANE DEAL

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn is confident manager Roy Keane will sign a new contract within weeks.

The Black Cats boss embarked upon the final year of his current three-year deal at the start of the new season, but has repeatedly insisted he is relaxed about the future.

However, Quinn revealed initial talks with Keane’s solicitor, Michael Kennedy, began last week after funding for the next two years was secured, and he is optimistic of a positive outcome in the near future.

Quinn said: “We have just opened up negotiations with Roy’s solicitor last week, and that will move along nicely, I hope.

“You never know, we will see, but I am pretty confident we will have something nice to say in the next few weeks.

“I didn’t want to go to Roy Keane with a new contract offer when I couldn’t tell him what was happening in 12 months’ time, because the minimum contract would have been a year.

“Now hopefully this year, we will be okay and maybe a couple after.

“I don’t know. We haven’t quite got to the detail, but I am pretty pleased.

“The great thing about Roy is you are not sitting in here with a big agent talking about money, it’s about direction.

“That’s the biggest thing in the contract talks, and I am confident that on my side of the table, we have got the direction that will please him.

“That’s become apparent in the last week or so, and we will kick on from there.

“It will be a great day if he does sign. It will be a big day for him as a manager too.

“It takes a bit of time and there are a few dots on the i’s and crosses on the t’s.

“Hopefully that’s what it is, but I will keep you posted.”

A confidentiality agreement prevented Quinn from commenting on reports that Irish-American businessman Ellis Short has acquired a 30 per cent stake in Drumaville, the consortium which owns the club, and that it is his financial muscle which has allowed the Wearsiders to present Keane with a two-year blueprint.

However, as chaos reigns at neighbouring Newcastle following Kevin Keegan’s resignation over claims of interference from Board level, the chairman confirmed his manager has no worries on that front.

He said: “We won’t put any restrictions on Roy. He is very aware of the power he has in bringing people to the club, and he will just get our backing to do that.

“He has appointed scouts in 13 countries since we came, which is a big change from where we were two and a bit years ago.

“Slowly but surely, every aspect of the club is going that way.

“He has got the power to appoint scouts, he has got the power to name and choose the players we go after.

“He is the manager in every sense of the word and the fact now that we have a two and a half-year business plan, it is the right and correct time to ask him to commit.”

Quinn’s comments came as he joined forces with Gina Carter, the widow of former Sunderland goalkeeper Tim Carter, at the launch of an appeal to raise 1.2million to build a hydrotherapy pool at the Percy Hedley School in Newcastle.

Carter, whose four-year-old son Jensen attends the special school for children and adults with cerebral palsy, died earlier this year at the age of 40.

Mrs Carter said: “Tim would have been very proud and very humble that people thought so highly of him.

“It was a big passion in Tim’s heart and to have such a centre built in his name will be tremendous.”

Berbatov - no fears about United future.
I’LL DELIVER FOR UNITED - BERBATOV

Dimitar Berbatov insists that he can cope with the pressure of playing for Manchester United.

The Bulgarian star is yet to find the back of the net since his much publicised and controversial 30.75million move from Tottenham on transfer deadline day.

However, despite not scoring in his first three games - Berbatov remains confident he will deliver the goods at Old Trafford.

“I have had to handle expectation and pressure throughout my life,” he told The Sun.

“I’m not scared and that’s why I’m here. The most important things are to enjoy myself, help the team to win more trophies and entertain the fans.

“If I do that, if I play like I did at Tottenham, I don’t think it will be a problem.

“I’m at the biggest club in the world and here I can develop in the way I want and that’s the most important thing. I really hope I’ll be successful here.”

Berbatov - blasted by Venables.
VENABLES BLASTS ‘POISONOUS’ BERBATOV

Former Tottenham manager Terry Venables has laid the blame for the club’s dire start to the season squarely at Dimitar Berbatov’s door, bemoaning the Bulgarian’s “poisonous presence” at the beginning of the campaign.

Berbatov started the season at White Hart Lane but was clear in his desire to realise a ‘dream’ move to current club Manchester United.

Speculation over Berbatov’s future dominated Spurs’ early matches as manager Juande Ramos wrestled with whether or not to select the striker, who eventually signed for the Red Devils in a 30million deal.

With two points from six league matches so far Spurs lie bottom of the table and Ramos is under intense pressure.

But Venables, who last week turned down the chance to return to top-flight management with Tottenham’s fellow strugglers Newcastle, believes the club’s current strife stems from Berbatov.

“Berbatov kept telling us he had ‘a dream’. Well, good for you Dimi. You had a dream with a few extra noughts added to your bank balance,” he told The Sun.

“But did Spurs have a dream too? You got your way but your poisonous presence at the start of the season - the brooding and the reluctance to play - has cost the club that believed in you.”

Venables also believes the Spurs board erred in selling Berbatov’s strike partner Robbie Keane to Liverpool before they had a replacement.

“They thought they were going to get Andrei Arshavin,” said Venables.

“This was a massive managerial blunder by Spurs, especially when they had allowed Keane to leave. But letting Berbatov and Keane go without having Arshavin in the bag was a boardroom blunder.”