SPORTS UPDATE WITH EMMAH ATAI: Chelsea have been drawn against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final, while Real Madrid face holders Bayern Munich. The Blues, chasing a third final in seven seasons, visit the Vicente Calderon in the first leg on 22 April, with the return eight days later. Nine-time winners Real are at home to holders Bayern in the first leg. In the Europa League semi-final draw, Juventus will face Benfica and Sevilla will face fellow La Liga side Valencia. Thibaut Courtois has been given a go ahead to play for Atletico Madrid in their Champions League semi-final against Chelsea. With today’s draw pairing the two clubs, Chelsea were warned by UEFA that they could face sanctions if Courtois is not allowed to play for Atletico. Arsenal will hand fitness tests to midfielders Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin) and Tomas Rosicky (thigh) as well as full-back Kieran Gibbs (ankle) ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup semi-final against Wigan at Wembley. Midfielder Mathieu Flamini is suspended, so fit-again Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey is expected to start and as in previous rounds Lukas Fabianski will play in goal ahead of regular number one Wojciech Szczesny. Centre-half Laurent Koscielny (calf), midfielder Serge Gnabry (knee), Germany international Mesut Ozil (hamstring), England midfielder Jack Wilshere (foot) are all still recovering, as are Abou Diaby and Theo Walcott both with knee injuries. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has played down Cristiano Ronaldos injury problems and suggested the Portugal captain may recover in time for Wednesdays Kings Cup final against Barcelona. Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis hopes to have a fully fit squad to choose from when his side host Aston Villa tomorrow. Dwight Gayle returned from an ankle injury to score five goals in an Under-21s fixture against Brentford on Wednesday night but the young striker is not considered ready to start. West Brom head coach Pepe Mel’s hopes of fielding an unchanged side for the first time hinge on midfielder James Morrison’s fitness. The Scot is a doubt for Saturday’s clash with Tottenham with an ankle problem and may be replaced by fit-again captain Chris Brunt, who is back after ligament trouble. Sergio Aguero will return to Manchester Citys match-day squad for their crucial title showdown against Liverpool on Sunday. After a second petition to FIFA by Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) side, FUFA has reacted to the global soccer governing body’s directive and issued Robert Ssentongo a player’s license. URA petitioned FIFA to have Ssentongo return to the club after he complained of mistreatment at St. George FC of Ethiopia. FIFA 2014 WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN: Its now 61 days to go and Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez, who had been an outside bet for Englands World Cup squad in June, has been ruled out for six months with a serious knee problem. Rodriguez, 24, joins Arsenal and former Southampton winger Theo Walcott in missing out on a berth in Englands squad because of the same injury.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 17:05:19 +0000
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