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Hodgson – Torres could face Gunners

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Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has revealed star striker Fernando Torres could yet be fit to play against Arsenal on Sunday as the Reds aim to kick off their season with an important win at Anfield (Liverpool 11/8, Arsenal 9/5, Draw 23/10 – match betting).

Spain international Torres has been carrying an abductor injury he sustained in the World Cup final and has only just made a return to training ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

However, despite a summer of disruption caused by injury and speculation that he would leave the club, Torres could feature against the Gunners.

He committed his future to Hodgson’s side a few weeks ago and will hope to have an injury-free campaign to help Liverpool get back amongst the top four and into the Champions League.

When asked if Torres could play on Sunday, Hodgson said: “Yes, there’s a chance he could play. He’s made a remarkable effort to get himself fit and ready for Premiership football.

“He’s worked extremely hard in the two and a half weeks he’s been back. I haven’t ruled him out but I haven’t ruled him in either.

“His chances were rightly being played down by the sports science people. They said, quite rightly, that in an ideal world he’d have a longer preparation period.

“It’s quite simply a balancing job. Do we take the risk of putting him in early or do we hold him back and put him through a more strenuous pre-season programme?”

He added: “The player’s feelings also have to be taken into account, so it’s a delicate mixture. But the bottom line is yes, he could be considered for Sunday.”

Liverpool follow up their season-opener against Arsenal with a home Europa League play-off first leg clash against Turkish side Trabzonspor on Thursday (Reds 9/1 to win the Europa League outright).

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Strikers could stay at Stoke

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Strikers James Beattie and Dave Kitson could both be available to boost Stoke City’s firepower in the new season, manager Tony Pulis has admitted (Stoke 15/2 – to be top Midlands club).

The duo have been linked with moves away from the Britannia Stadium, after falling from favour at the end of last season.

And they were both left at home on Saturday when the Potters beat Burnley 2-1 at Huddersfield’s Galpharm Stadium. Beattie has played less than 45 minutes of pre-season so far, while Kitson has been confined to playing in second-string friendlies.

But Pulis said supporters should not read much into that.

Pulis told the Sentinel: “Beattie trained with the other players who never came, because I wanted to give Mama Sidibe, Ricardo Fuller and Tuncay time in the middle.

“James would have just sat it out, so he had a training session back at the ground instead and I’m told he worked his socks off.

“Beattie and Kitson are both Stoke City players.

“At the moment they are working hard to keep fit and if we need them, we need them.”

Beattie’s future at Stoke (3/1 for top half finish) has been in major doubt since he clashed with Pulis over the manager having allegedly gone back on his word regarding the club’s Christmas party. The player initiated a club disciplinary action against Pulis, but it went against him.

Kitson failed in his first season at the Britannia Stadium but won his place back for a time last season and looked to have impressed Pulis, finishing with eight goals in the campaign – three of them coming on loan with Championship side Middlesbrough.

Beattie played in 24 games last season and only scored two goals – both in the 2-1 win against West Ham in October. But he had scored seven in 16 games at the end of 2008/09.

Beattie has been linked with a £1.5m move to West Brom, but Pulis refused to comment on the speculation.

The Potters manager also said there was “no truth whatsoever” in reports that he had tabled a £9m bid for West Ham striker Carlton Cole.

However, he said: “We are not just after a striker, but three or four players if we can.

“We have money to spend, but it’s got to be the right players at the right prices.”

City are shortly to learn the extent of injuries to midfielders Glenn Whelan and Rory after both went off during the first half against Burnley.

Whelan looked the more serious after pulling up with a calf strain that could sideline him until the start of the season on Saturday week.

Delap went off after his back locked, but Pulis was hoping to see him back in training ahead of tomorrow’s friendly at Bristol Rovers.

Player-of-the-year Matthew Etherington remains under treatment for the groin injury sidelining him on Saturday.

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World Cup could start new sporting era

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South Africa president Jacob ZumaSouth Africa’s success in staging the World Cup could be just the start of a new sporting era in the country, said President Jacob Zuma.

Zuma said the tournament had sparked economic development and proved the developing continent was capable of managing a world event.

“I think we have proved that not only South Africa, but Africa is capable of hosting any major event,” Zuma told the FIFA website.

The government has spent about 40 billion rand ($5.17 billion) on infrastructure projects, and billions more on upgrading roads and airports.

It could now spur a bid for the first African Olympics, Zuma said.

“People are already talking about a possibility of bidding for major events and we are supporting this. The Olympics are an example, I don’t see why we can’t bid to host the Olympics in the future. It’s important for Africa,” he added.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge last week offered encouragement to Africa for an Olympic bid, strengthening the possibility of South Africa being a host.

Cape Town was the first African city to bid for the Olympics but was trounced in the vote for the 2004 Games that were awarded to Athens.

Durban, which markets itself as Africa’s sports capital, has expressed an interest in hosting a future Games and built its new World Cup stadium with enough space to add an athletics track.

When asked what legacy he wanted the World Cup to leave for South Africa’s children, Zuma told FIFA: “It has taken the economic development to a different level. One of the important things for Africa is education and programmes like 1Goal (FIFA’S education programme) are playing a vital role – that is legacy.

“This tournament has inspired Africans.”

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Forlan could earn his Spurs

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Reported suitors Tottenham have been offered encouragement in their bid to sign Uruguay striker Diego Forlan from Atletico Madrid to strengthen their squad for a crack at next season’s Champions League and Premier League (Spurs 50/1 – Premier League Outright 2010/2011).

White Hart Lane chief Harry Redknapp has transformed Spurs from relegation candidates to a top-four outfit since he was drafted in to replace Juande Ramos in October 2008.

At the time Ramos had managed to win just two points from the opening eight games of the 2008/09 Premier League season but Redknapp guided the north Londoners to an eighth-placed finish before a four-place improvement last time around.

Spurs will be in the Champions League for the first time next term and although they can boast England World Cup strikers Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe in their ranks, the futures of Republic of Ireland captain Robbie Keane and Russia star Roman Pavlyuchenko are far from secure.

Keane ended last season on loan at Celtic and is wanted back at Parkhead by new Bhoys chief Neil Lennon while Pavlyuchenko, despite hitting some good form towards the end of the 2009/10 season, looks set to move on in search of first-team football.

So Redknapp will need to do some wheeling and dealing in the transfer market which has led to links with former Manchester United forward Forlan who was part of Atletico’s Europa League-winning squad last season.

However, Los Rojiblancos only finished ninth in La Liga last season so cannot offer Forlan Champions League football and, at the age of 31, the South American predator is unlikely to want to spend any time away from Europe’s top table.

Forlan famously took 27 games to break his goalscoring duck for Manchester United after joining the Red Devils in January 2002, but he insists he has not been put off trying his luck in the Premier League at some point in the future.

The former Villarreal star said: “If there is an offer and it’s good for Atletico and good for me I would be really happy to go back to England. But it will have to be good.

“If a big chance to return to England came up, I would have to look at it. I loved my time in English football – the people, the fans, the football, everything.

“I wasn’t sad the way it ended at United to be honest. I was really happy during my time there and thank the people at United for how they treated me.

“During my period there I learnt a lot of things and had a good relationship with everyone. The reason I left was because I didn’t have the chance to play as regularly as I wanted.”

Forlan and Uruguay kick off their World Cup campaign against France on Friday (Forlan 33/1 – To Score A Hat-Trick).

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