Sven still ready to visit Turkey for peace talks

The England manager Sven Goran Eriksson is still prepared to travel to Switzerland on Thursday for a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Senol Gunes ahead of next month's European Championship match, despite the latter's reluctance to take part. "Sven still has the date in his diary," a Football Association spokesman said yesterday.

Uefa, European football's governing body, will chair talks between the two national associations, but Gunes has said there is no point in the managers becoming involved. He was known to be annoyed by Eriksson's recent quote that English supporters risked their lives by travelling to the game in Istanbul. Friends and families of the England team will be barred from watching the match, as well as fans.

There will be two meetings between club sides from the two countries in the next fortnight. On Wednesday, Blackburn Rovers travel to Ankara to play Genclerbirligi in the Uefa Cup and the following week Chelsea are at home to Besiktas in the Champions' League.

Meanwhile Eriksson has again been linked with the Chelsea manager's job, one report claiming he was offered a £34m deal over four years by the club's new owner Roman Abramovich. The Swede is expected to offer his resignation if England lose in Turkey and then fail in the subsequent play-off for next summer's finals.

He will be at Old Trafford today for the first Premiership meeting of the season between Manchester United and Arsenal, for which Roy Keane will definitely be back in the United midfield. Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed Keane's recovery from an ankle injury yesterday, adding: "He won't play every game this season. I will be leaving him out of a lot; the important thing is to have him when it really matters." Arsenal will not reveal until later whether Sol Campbell plays, following his father's death last week.