Hodgson: Sterling Told To Remain Realistic After Surprise National Call-Up

England national team manager Roy Hodgson said that his decision to call up 17-year old Raheem Sterling for their upcoming fixture against Ukraine is approved after talks with the winger's Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers earlier announced that he will not allow Sterling to accept the call-up from the national Under-21 team, saying that it is better for him to stay with the Under-19s. His senior team call-up is due to Theo Walcott and Daniel Sturridge's unavailability due to illness.

ENGLISH PREMIERE LEAGUE | CHELSEA VS. BLACKBURN ROVERS

English Premiere League | Chelsea Vs. Blackburn Rovers 10:00 PM GMT+8

Match pointers

• Blackburn have failed to score in nine of their past 11 league games against Chelsea

• Chelsea have lost 10 games in 2011-12, their most in a season defeats since 2000-01

• Only one player has ever scored more goals (Andrew Johnson's 21 for Crystal Palace in 2004-05) for a relegated team than Yakubu Ayegbeni (16) has this season

• Fernando Torres has scored seven goals in 1,089 minutes with Roberto Di Matteo as manager compared to four in 1,893 under André Villas-Boas

• Blackburn will finish a season with less than 35 points for the first time since 1978-79

ITALY SERIE A - SPECIALS | Chievo vs AS Roma Match Preview

ITALY SERIE A - SPECIALS | Chievo vs AS Roma Match live 12:00 AM GMT+8

 

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Aston Villa Vs Chelsea premier liga match preview

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: 12BET ODDS Aston Villa Vs Chelsea 3/31 10PM GMT+8  

Aston Villa have generally struggled against the big boys this year, although they did win 3-1 at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season and Chelsea should have too much for them so 4/5 is a great bit of business.

Aston Villa’s main problem has been putting the ball in the back of the net this season. No-one outside the bottom three has scored less than them this season. To go with this Chelsea haven’t scored more than 1 goal away from home since the start of January in the league

Petrov fever fear for Villa

 Villa skipper has high temperature

Captain Stiliyan Petrov is a worry for Aston Villa ahead of their crunch weekend home game against top-four chasing Chelsea.

The West Midlands side are low on confidence following last weekend's 3-0 defeat by Arsenal and are in danger of slipping into the relegation tussle. Although the club are currently eight points clear of the bottom three, Alex McLeish's side face a tough run of fixtures in April after the Blues' visit to Villa Park. Alan Hutton and Charles N'Zogbia will almost certainly miss the game with respective calf and knee problems while Darren Bent (ankle), Richard Dunne (collarbone) and Ciaran Clark (knee) are sidelined. And with James Collins and Emile Heskey carrying knocks, there is now a real worry over the Bulgarian.

"Stan Petrov's got a bit of a fever," explained assistant manager Peter Grant. "He came off after the game with a high temperature on Saturday. "He didn't feel that great during the game. The doc took his temperature on the way back up and it was very high."

Giggs: Everything will be decided in the Manchester derby

 The 38-year-old is backing his team’s experience to see them claim their 20th Premier League crown and admits that he is still living the dream playing for the champions

Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs feels that the derby match with Manchester City next month will prove the decisive fixture in the Premier League title race.

The Red Devils stretched their lead at the top of the table to three points with a 1-0 win over Fulham at Old Trafford on Monday night, after City were held to a draw with Stoke City on Saturday.

The two sides go head-to-head at the Etihad Stadium on Monday April 30 and Giggs believes that it will prove the pivotal match in the title run-in.

He told La Gazzetta dello Sport:  "We have the experience but City have the hunger. If we both keeping going like this, everything will be decided in the derby."

The midfielder recently signed a one-year extension to his contract with the Old Trafford club, having notched his 900th appearance in the famous red shirt in February.

The former Wales international has been earmarked as a potential candidate for the manager’s job in the future, but he insisted that he is focused solely on prolonging his illustrious playing career.

"For now, I just want to play football but I'm prepared for my life after retirement," added Giggs.

"Becoming manager of Manchester United? We'll see, for now I just want to enjoy the moment.

"My goal as a youngster was to play one game for Manchester United. I achieved that dream, which I'm continuing to live at 38. I could not ask for more." - http://www.goal.com

Manchester United vs Fulham premier liga match preview

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: 12BET odds Manchester United vs Fulham 3/27 3AM GMT+8

That is the spin being placed on this fixture by the pessimists in the blue half of Manchester and perhaps many overconfident Reds, but Martin Jol’s team are capable of upsetting the odds. Having conceded five to United at Craven Cottage in December, they will be yearning to redeem themselves and could make life difficult for Sir Alex Ferguson’s team.

Manchester United (probable, 4-3-3): De Gea; Jones, Evans, Ferdinand, Evra; Valencia, Carrick, Giggs; Welbeck, Rooney, Hernandez.
Out: Anderson (hamstring), Fletcher (bowel condition), Lindegaard (ankle), Vidic (knee), Owen (thigh), Bebe (knee), Nani (ankle).

Fulham (Probable, 4-4-2): Schwarzer; Kelly, Hangeland, Senderos, J Rises; Ruiz, Diarra, Dembele, Dempsey; Johnson, Pogrebnyak.
Out: Etheridge (wrist), Grygera (knee), Sidwell (hernia), Sa (hamstring)

 

Dost confirms Villa interest

Heerenveen ace says Premier League side want him

 

Heerenveen striker Bas Dost has confirmed that Aston Villa are showing an interest in landing him.

The Dutch Under-21 international is currently the top-scorer in the Eredivisie. Spanish giants Valencia have also been linked with Dost, and he has now revealed he is aware Villa want him.

"It is positive news," he told Voetbal Primeur. "You hear this and of course it is nice to know they are interested. "Aston Villa is a club I don't know very well, but they look good. "I have spoken with my agent and we won't be discussing anything during the season."

Villa have already made one move on Dutch football, after agreeing a Bosman deal for AZ Alkmaar's Brett Holman. - http://www1.skysports.com

 

Aston Villa Vs Fulham match preview

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: 12BET odds Aston Villa Vs Fulham 3/10 11PM GMT+8

Aston Villa have lost top-scorer Darren Bent (nine goals) for the season with ankle ligament damage, and Gabriel Agbonlahor takes up the position as main striker with five in the league so far. McLeish's side has won just one of its last eight Premier League matches, losing three, while winning none of its last seven league matches at Villa Park, losing five. If Villa fails to win this match it will equal its worst-ever run without a win at home in the top flight, which was set in 1921.

Fulham's 5-0 victory last Sunday against Wolves was the first time it has won three successive games since 2008 when it avoided relegation. It now sits eighth in the Premier League. Fulham's recent victory away over QPR ended a run of seven away matches without a win.Fulham has however won none of its last 12 visits to Villa Park in the league, drawing six and losing six.

Newcastle United will match Sunderland this Sunday

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: 12BET odds Newcastle United vs Sunderland 3/4 8PM GMT+8

Sunderland may have finished above Newcastle three years running, but they have lost eight of the last 14 games against their local rivals and have not enjoyed a victory on Tyneside since 2001.Martin O'Neill is already hugely popular given the vast improvement in results since he became manager in December, but he knows a win on Sunday would do wonders for the club's self-esteem.

Newcastle, though, remain in the hunt for Europe, they have lost just twice at home this season and have the marginally better record in Tyne-Wear derbies 53 to 44 wins to reassure them. It's going to be a close one to call.Newcastle striker Papiss Cissé is expected to be fit for Sunday's derby with Sunderland.Cissé withdrew from the Senegal squad in midweek with a groin problem, but has trained and will be available, as should midfielder Cheick Tiote, who was rested on Friday following his return from international duty with the Ivory Coast.

Asian Ha ndicap EPL: Bolton Wanderers vs Chelsea 12BET 10/2 8:30PM GMT+8

Bolton Wanderers have suffered five successive league defeats while Chelsea aim to keep pace with the leaders.

Bolton team news

Manager Owen Coyle faces further selection issues. Coyle is already without a number of long-term injured, with the casualty list compounded this week when it was announced midfielder Stuart Holden faces another six months on the sidelines with a knee problem.To add to his woes, on-loan Gael Kakuta is ineligible as he cannot face his parent club, David Wheater and Ivan Klasnic are suspended, and goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen is doubtful with a leg knock.

 Chelsea team news

Daniel Sturridge could return to the Chelsea line-up.The forward missed Saturday's win over Swansea with a knee injury and also sat out Wednesday night's Champions League draw at Valencia, but he is fit to return to the club where he spend the second half of last season on loan.Fernando Torres starts a three-match ban, goalkeeping understudy Hilario is still a week or two away from recovering from a hip and back complaint, while Michael Essien (knee) is a long-term absentee.

squads

Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Eagles, Robinson, Muamba, Reo-Coker, Petrov, K Davies, Tuncay, Bogdan, Gardner, M Davies, Pratley, Ngog, Blake.
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Bosingwa, Alex, Ferreira, Terry, Luiz, Cole, Bertrand, McEachran, Mikel, Romeu, Ramires, Lampard, Meireles, Mata, Malouda, Drogba, Anelka, Sturridge, Lukaku, Kalou, Turnbull.- by http://www.premierleague.com