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Hargreaves pushing for return

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Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has missed nearly two years with knee problems but boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he expects the former Bayern Munich man to push for a starting spot soon (Manchester United 5/2 to win the Premier League).

Hargreaves has been suffering with chronic tendinitis in both knees and there were fears he may be forced to hang up his boots.

However, the 29-year-old has now returned to training after seeing renowned specialist Dr Richard Steadman and Ferguson has revealed the midfielder could be back in the near future.

“Owen Hargreaves has come back training, he trained with the first team,” Ferguson  told MUTV.

“He looked very good. I was surprised how good he was looking. It’s an extra string to our bow.

“Bringing him in at this time, after being out for so long, obviously we’ll have to monitor him and see how he’s going to progress in the next few weeks.”

Hargreaves made a brief return to action towards the end of last season only for his problem to flare up again and Ferguson admits he is wary of sending him back into competitive football too early.

He added: “He’s been out for so long you have to see whether there’s going to be a relapse.

“That’s the first thing on our mind at the moment but having watched him in training, if he continues that way he’s going to give me another selection problem, no question about that.”

United take on Bolton at the Reebok Stadium on Sunday at high noon. Hargreaves will play no part against the Wanderers as he is still lacking match fitness.

However, Rio Ferdinand is expected to be handed his first league start of the season after a lengthy lay-off stretching back to before the World Cup (Bolton 13/2, draw 16/5, United 4/9).

Bolton will be without defender Gary Cahill, who will serve the final match of his suspension following a questionable red card at Arsenal, but goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen is available again after serving his own suspension.

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Houllier sets Young example

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New Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier has penned as three-year deal at Villa Park and believes winger Ashley Young will soon follow suit and pledge his future to the club (Villa 6/4 to beat Wolves).

Houllier has replaced Martin O’Neill in the Aston Villa hot-seat after the Irishman quit his position just five days before the start of the Premiership season, following a difference of opinion with owner Randy Lerner.

Houllier spent six years in charge of Liverpool between 1998 and 2004 before moving back to his homeland to coach Lyon for a couple of seasons.

He then became technical director for France before deciding to move back to the Premiership with the Villans, penning a deal to remain at the club until 2013.

The 63-year-old failed to guide Liverpool to the Premiership title but did mange to secure the Uefa Cup and Uefa Super Cup in 2001, while also claiming both the FA and League Cups in the same year.

And it may well be that his ability to put together cup runs was a factor in Lerner opting to employ the French veteran.

Villa have seven points from their first five matches and face West Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, looking to build on last weekend’s 3-1 success over Blackburn Rovers.

One of Houllier’s first tasks will be to persuade Young to pen a long-term deal at the club to prevent one of the bigger clubs luring their prized asset away from the Midlands.

And the former Paris St-Germain boss is confident that the 25-year-old will sign a new contract sooner rather than later, after discussions about the role that he needs to play in the team as a whole.

“Am I hopeful Ashley will sign a new contract? Yes. It’s going on well,” he said.

“The discussions are positive. We had a chat and all I told Ashley is that I thought he could be a leader not only in terms of quality but in terms of effort.

“He can be a star but a star as a team player. His input must not be only making goals and scoring goals. It’s his work-rate and his attitude that can improve the rest of the team.”

Houllier’s appointment has not been met with universal approval by the Villa fans, with many wary of the style of football he might play.

But victory over Wolves on Sunday will go a long way to winning over his doubters and moving his new club up into a European spot in the table (Villa 5/2 to finish in the top six).

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Houllier gets Heskey backing

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Emile Heskey is hopeful that his former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier ‘can bring good times’ to Aston Villa (10/1 Premiership Top 4 Finish) following his recent appointment as Martin O’Neill’s successor at Villa Park.

Former England striker, Heskey, revelled under the Frenchman’s stewardship at Anfield 10 years ago when he bagged an impressive 22 goals in his first season alongside the prolific Michael Owen after being signed by Houllier for £11million from Leicester City.

Ironically, Heskey immediately found his golden touch in Houllier’s first game in charge of Villa on Wednesday when he scored one and set up two Ashley Young goals as a second half substitute in the side’s 3-1 Carling Cup (Villa 7/1 Outright) win against Blackburn Rovers.

And the 32-year-old is now backing Houllier to emulate his record at Liverpool – where he won an FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup treble in 2000-01 – to bring some long-awaited success to the Villains.

Ahead of Houllier’s first Premier League game in charge at Wolves on Sunday (Wolves 17/10, Villa 7/5, draw 12/5 90 Minutes), Heskey said: “It’s nice to be reunited with the manager. I know all about him and fingers crossed he will bring good times back to Villa.

“He did brilliantly at Liverpool and I am sure he can do the same here.

“He has many qualities and discipline on and off the park is one thing he definitely brings.”

Meanwhile, Heskey is now looking to try and have more of an impact with Villa, where he has struggled to play regular first-team football since being snapped up from Wigan in January 2009.

He added: “I’ve been working hard in training to be ready for when called upon.

“Even when (caretaker manager) Kevin MacDonald was in charge, he said ‘make sure you are ready’ so I’ve been working on that.”

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Mancini makes shock title claim

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Manchester City boss Roberto ManciniManchester City boss Roberto Mancini has tipped Saturday’s opponents Chelsea, the 3/4 favourites, to “win the Premier League title easily” this season (City 21/10, draw 9/4, Chelsea 6/5).

Carlo Ancelotti’s men make the trip to Eastlands for Saturday’s early kick-off in fantastic form although they did blot their copybook with a Carling Cup defeat to Newcastle in midweek.

Ancelotti elected to give some of his stars the night off but the XI still featured the likes of John Terry, Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou alongside some youngsters and fringe players.

The Italian saw his side reduced to 10 men but only through injury when all three substitutions had been made so he was happy with the performance as Chelsea came back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3, before eventually losing 4-3.

Injuries are a problem for City as well – with Saturday’s hosts able to call on just three defenders who are described as fully fit.

Mancini is definitely without Micah Richards (hamstring) while there will be late decisions taken on Joleon Lescott (groin) and Jerome Boateng (knee).

But it is Mancini’s apparent concession of the title to Chelsea that is sure to raise a few eyebrows at Old Trafford and the Emirates.

“Chelsea are the best team in the Premier League at the moment,” said Mancini. “They are probably going to win the Premier League title easily.

“They are a strong team, who have been playing together for many years.

“They have a fantastic manager and they have worked to reach this situation.”

Chelsea have won all of their Premier League games this season, scoring 21 goals and conceding just one in the process (Chelsea 17/10 – To Keep A Clean Sheet).

But they travel north mindful of the fact City did the double over them last season when they backed up a 2-1 win at Eastlands with a 4-2 victory at Stamford Bridge at the end of February.

Chelsea will again be without England midfielder Frank Lampard following hernia surgery  and he is joined on the sidelines by striker Salomon Kalou (thigh) and midfielders Yossi Benayoun (calf) and Gael Kakuta (back).

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Liverpool reveal united front

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Boss Roy Hodgson admits the Carling Cup defeat at Anfield at the hands of League Two Northampton in midweek was “not acceptable” for a club of Liverpool’s stature (Manchester United 2/1f – Carling Cup Outright).

The Reds’ sluggish start to the season has seen them win just one Premier League game – against West Brom – and pick up just five points from five matches.

Liverpool are now also out of the Carling Cup which was arguably their best chance of a trophy this season to end a drought which goes back to four years to the 2006 FA Cup win.

However, the real prize for the Merseysiders will be a return to the top four and Champions League football which, for financial as well as sporting reasons, is crucial for the club’s future (Liverpool 2/1 – Top 4 Finish).

Hodgson is putting on a brave face ahead of Liverpool’s home clash with Sunderland in the league, however, and insists the latest setback must be put into context (Liverpool 4/9 – 90 minutes).

“I’ve had many disappointments,” said Hodgson. “You can’t work at 35 years at the level I have without having disappointments.

“Any criticism which comes my way and the team’s we have to accept because it is not acceptable to have a home game in the Carling Cup against a team several divisions below you and not come out with a victory.

“Wednesday was a really bad result for the club, it has knocked us backwards, and has put us in a situation where we are heavily criticised – perhaps rightly so.”

He added: “We’ve had some good moments – with five straight Europa League victories – but also some bad ones, like the (3-0) defeat at Manchester City and the one in the Carling Cup.

“It’s been pretty much a mixed bag but we’ll live through the bad moments and over the course of the season we’ll do well.

“We are reading an awful lot into a bad result.”

Hodgson’s sentiments have been echoed by captain Steven Gerrard who is looking for a response now the dust has settled on the Carling Cup shock.

He said: “Football isn’t just about highs. Throughout my career I have experienced both highs and lows and probably learnt more from the lows because you look at yourself first, look at what went wrong and try to learn from your mistakes.

“Playing for this club there are big games every two or three days and we need to get everyone’s head focused on Sunderland now.

“What I would ask all the supporters is to trust the players and what the players are saying.

“I’ve been reading and listening to what they’ve been saying and they’ve all said we’ll get it right in the end – and we will.”

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Grant still optimistic

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Avram Grant is confident that West Ham can turn their season around and feels their performances do not justify their current place in the Premier League (West Ham 11/8 to be relegated).

The Hammers are currently bottom of the Premier League, having taken just one point from their opening five games, with a 1-1 draw at Stoke last time out.

The East Enders began their season with a 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa before Bolton took all three points with a 3-1 victory at Upton Park.

A 3-0 defeat away to Manchester United followed while league-leading Chelsea then secured a 3-1 victory over the Irons.

Scott Parker scored in the 32nd minute to give West Ham the goal they needed to secure their first point of the season at the Britannia Stadium last weekend and they followed that up by beating Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light to continue their progress in the Carling Cup.

Despite the club’s current predicament, the manager remains upbeat about his side’s prospects this term and feels that the way they have played at times this season is not reflected in their current league position.

“I am very optimistic about the future of this club. We know what we are doing, we have a vision about this club and I am optimistic about it,” he told the East London Advertiser.

“If you have seen our games, this is not the place for us. but we need to take points. We have a long, long season. I think it will be very hard, but it will be possible. But it is very frustrating when we play so well but don’t take three points.”

Grant will welcome Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham to east London on Saturday, with Spurs currently in fifth place in the table after an up-and-down start to their campaign (West Ham 13/5 – 90 minutes).

The Israeli coach will take heart from the fact that Wigan took all three points from the north Londoners just four weeks ago and Arsenal’s young side beat them 4-1 in the Carling Cup on Wednesday night.

Both Victor Obinna and Frederic Piquionne opened their scoring accounts on Tuesday against the Black Cats and Grant was impressed by what he saw from one to 11 in the north east.

“They worked very hard, they moved very well and they played well together – but all the team behind them played well,” he added.

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Gerrard vows to get Reds going

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Steven Gerrard has promised Liverpool will come through their current slump and says everyone at Anfield is fully focused on getting three points against Sunderland (Liverpool 4/9, draw 14/5, Sunderland 7/1 – 90 minutes) in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Reds’ poor start to the season hit a new low on Wednesday evening when they were dumped out of the Carling Cup at home by League Two outfit Northampton on penalties.

The performance was way below what was expected of a side – containing six full internationals at the start – on a rain-soaked night on Merseyside and was the first time Liverpool have ever been beaten by a team from the lowest rung of the English football ladder in Cup competition.

First-team squad players Ryan Babel, Lucas, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Daniel Agger and David Ngog all started the game while they were selected alongside youngsters Danny Wilson, Jay Spearing, Dani Pacheco and Martin Kelly.

However, Roy Hodgson’s side barely deserved to claim a 2-2 draw against the minnows following 120 minutes of football and it was left to club captain Gerrard to try and take the positives out of a shocking night for the club (Liverpool 2/1 – Top 4 Finish).

“They will learn from this experience. Football isn’t just about highs,” he told the club’s website.

“Throughout my career I have experienced both highs and lows and probably learnt more from the lows because you look at yourself first, look at what went wrong and try to learn from your mistakes. The players are allowed to be down today but it’s up to players like myself to pick them back up because playing for this club there are big games every two or three days and we need to get everyone’s head focused on Sunderland now.

“There are still some positives underneath the frustration. Although we’ve gone out and everyone is down and disappointed, the experience that would have given the lads in the dressing room might be vital for the future.”

Gerrard says the players must not dwell on the result and everyone must pull together for the Black Cats clash – a game that is likely to see a completely different line-up chosen by Hodgson.

“The last thing we want now is for people to be sulking with their heads down because there’s a massive game in three days,” he added.

“No-one is hurting more than the players who played. We’ve all been there and all experienced it. Everyone is disappointed and down but it’s not the end of the world. It’s gone now, it’s important we move on and think about Sunderland and try to get the three points.”

“What I would ask all the supporters is to trust the players and what the players are saying. I’ve been reading and listening to what they’ve been saying and they’ve all said we’ll get it right in the end – and we will.”

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Rivals face major injuries

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Manchester City currently have just three fit defenders ahead of their crunch clash with Chelsea (Man City 21/10, Draw 9/4, Chelsea 6/5 – Match Betting), who themselves have major injury concerns.

Both teams crashed out of the Carling Cup in midweek but the two managers would have had one eye on Saturday’s big game at Eastlands.

City boss Roberto Mancini has revealed that he is desperately short of defensive options ahead of the weekend, with Micah Richards the latest concern.

The England international missed the League Cup defeat at West Brom due to a hamstring problem and is in a race against time to be fit for the weekend.

Mancini says Pablo Zabaleta will play at right back against the league leaders, while Vincent Kompany and Kolo Toure are the only other two fully-fit players.

The Italian admitted: “I hope that Micah Richards can recover. If not I don’t know who can play left-back. We have big problems.”

Gareth Barry or James Milner (4/1 to score at anytime) could well be asked to play in an unfamiliar role at left back, although Wayne Bridge still has an outside chance of making the weekend.

Mancini says he has no regrets over his team selection at the Hawthorns, even though City (4/6 Premier League 2010-11 Top Four Finish) crashed out of the Carling Cup.

The former Sampdoria (28/1 to win 2010-11 Europa League) striker added: “Saturday is more important, the FA Cup is more important. The Europa League is more important.

“I did not regard this as a necessary sacrifice. We wanted to win. That is why I had four senior players on the bench. But I knew there was a chance we could lose because we started with six young players.”

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s injury list continues to grow with Yossi Benayoun and Salomon Kalou almost certainly ruled out of Saturday’s match.

Both players featured in the Carling Cup loss to Newcastle, with Benayoun suffering a calf injury and Kalou picking up a thigh problem.

Carlo Ancelotti said: “We will know more soon, but they don’t look good. They will miss the next few games. These things happen in football.”

Ancelotti already has major doubts over the fitness of Frank Lampard, while Gael Kakuta is also sidelined with thigh injury.

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Fab boost for Gunners

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Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas believes he will have recovered from his hamstring injury in time to play against Premier League title rivals Chelsea on October 3 (Arsenal 11/2, Chelsea 3/4 – Premier League outright).

The midfielder suffered the injury in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Sunderland and the initial diagnosis was that it would keep him out for at least three weeks.

However, the Spain star is confident he will be back in contention to take on leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge a week on Sunday – in what will be a major boost to Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

He told reporters back in Spain: “The injury is not as bad as we first thought. There is no muscle rupture and I will be back perfect in about 10 to 11 days.

“I am working with an osteopath in Paris and just working day to day.

“I think I will make the Chelsea game.”

Fabregas, who has hit three goals so far this season following a summer in which he was constantly linked with a move to Barcelona, will definitely sit out this weekend’s home game with West Brom (Arsenal 1/6, West Brom 16/1, draw 5/1 – 90 minutes) and the Champions League tie in Belgrade against Partizan.

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Ancelotti puts faith in youth

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Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed he will test his side’s youngsters in tonight’s Carling Cup showdown with Newcastle (Match Betting -  Chelsea 1/4, draw 4/1, Newcastle 8/1).

The Blues remain the only side in the Premier League with a 100% record, with the Stamford Bridge outfit winning all five of their games so far, scoring 21 goals and conceding just once, but the Italian tactician has revealed he will rest some of his senior stars for Newcastle’s visit (Chelsea 3/4 to win the Premier League).

The likes of Petr Cech, Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole, Michael Essien , John Obi Mikel and Frank Lampard will play no part in tonight’s contest, with Gael Kakuta,  Jeffrey Bruma, Patrick van Aanholt  and Daniel Sturridge (7/2 to score the first goal) all expected to start against Newcastle.

The Chelsea boss believes the younger players at Stamford Bridge are ready to make the step up, and Ancelotti revealed he hopes to have the opportunities to continue to test his rising stars throughout the current campaign.

“It is a good experience for them to play this kind of game,” Ancelotti explained. “They are involved this season more compared to last season and when there is an opportunity I want to give them the opportunity to play and show their quality.

“Sturridge played in the Champions League, Kakuta played two games, Bruma played in the last game against Blackpool  and they will get more opportunities to play.

“The Academy has done a good job in the last years and now we have the young players ready to play in our squad.”

However, while a number of Chelsea’s experienced heads will sit out the Carling Cup fixture, Ancelotti admitted he hopes captain John Terry will be available to play some part (Chelsea 9/2 to win the Carling Cup).

He added: “JT is fit to play and maybe can play for 45 minutes which could help Bruma, but Lampard is not available.”

Newcastle boss Chris Hughton will be without first-choice keeper Steve Harper, who picked up a shoulder injury during the victory over Everton, so Tim Krul will deputise in his absence.

Hughton is also expected to hand a debut to veteran defender Sol Campbell, who is now match fit after joining the club on a free transfer in the summer.

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