Manchester City will be without captain Vincent Kompany for Sunday's Barclays Premier League trip to Swansea.

Ferguson must 'gamble' by resting players for league game to overcome home reverse, while injured Kompany and Lescott set to miss vital matches as limp City crash in Lisbon

Caretaker England coach Stuart Pearce is ready to lead the side to Euro 2012 - "with pleasure".

The caretaker England manager, Stuart Pearce, is expected to give a group of young players an opportunity to impress for the senior team when he names his squad this morning for the friendly against the Netherlands next Wednesday.

Welcome (back) to Manchester, Carlos; the Etihad Stadium on its feet, singing the name of an Argentine who had propelled their football club into the last 16 of the Europa League.

England's caretaker manager likely to bring in Cleverley and Co for Netherlands friendly

The Reverend Mother may have been perplexed when she sang, "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" but, as Roberto Mancini might now reasonably suggest, it could have been a whole lot worse. Imagine the panic if it had been Mario rather than Maria stalking the cloisters.

Sir Alex Ferguson reacted to the prospect of up to eight Manchester United players being named in the England squad for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers by saying that it was time the FA stopped treating his club "like shit".

Fabio Capello has begun his last season as England's manager by announcing that the nation's most promising young players will only displace their elders by proving they are their betters.

Nigel De Jong, Manchester City's Dutch midfielder, has let it be known that he is "frustrated," in his negotiations with his club over the terms of his future employment.

Midfielder Nigel de Jong has revealed that contract talks with Manchester City have broken down.

Manchester City defender Micah Richards has dismissed speculation he is holding out for £100,000 a week before signing a new contract.

For 14 short minutes on Sunday night, England were heading for a third successive semi-final in the European Under-21 Championship; but in far less convincing fashion than on the two previous occasions. Danny Welbeck's goal in the 75th minute was only their second in three matches and when the previously impressive defence made one slip it brought a crucial equalising goal for the Czech Republic, who needed only a draw to qualify and ended up scoring again with the last kick of the match. The Czechs now meet Switzerland in one semi-final tomorrow, while the favourites Spain play Belarus.