Manchester United

The 24-year-old has turned out for England since Sunday’s claims, but attention is now focused on Rooney’s return to Goodison Park and whether or not Ferguson will take him out of the firing line.

But, predictably and understandably, the Scot has played a straight bat to reporters’ questions over the ins and outs of Rooney’s alleged off-field activities.

Ferguson stated: “Let’s put it to bed straightaway. I am not discussing any of my players’ personal lives.”

Rooney is certain of a hot reception if he does turn out for the Red Devils at Everton and Fergie is wily enough to know that ‘resting’ the hitman would be counter-productive in the long run.

United will definitely be without midfielder Michael Carrick for the game after the midfielder’s long-running battle against an Achilles problem flared up again.

The former West Ham and Spurs star has been forced to undergo a painkilling injection and will miss around a month “at most”, according to Ferguson.

“It has been bothering him for a few weeks now, so we sent him to a specialist in London yesterday and he had an injection,” said Ferguson.

“We are hoping that settles it down. We have been considering what we should do about it. The best thing is to get it treated and out of the road now because everyone in the squad is fit.”

However, United are boosted by the return of centre-half Rio Ferdinand who has not been seen in a United first-team shirt since the end of last season (United 11/8 – To Keep A Clean Sheet).

The defender suffered a knee problem in England’s first training session at the World Cup in South Africa in the summer and so played no part in the tournament.

Ferdinand has been back in reserves action to build up his fitness and could have turned out for the second string again on Thursday night, but Ferguson saw no reason to make him available to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

“He wanted to play but his training performances are so good I didn’t see any point,” added the Old Trafford chief.

“He is in the squad. With three games this week, it is good that he is back in the fold.”

United are in Champions League action on Tuesday night when Ferguson’s former club Rangers make the trip to Old Trafford (United 2/7 – Group C Winner).

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The Reds boss has drafted the 28-year-old Australia international into his Anfield squad to provide cover for number one Jose Reina for this campaign.

Jones, who has made 75 first-team appearances for Boro and spent time on loan at Blackpool, Rotherham, Stockport and Sheffield Wednesday, qualifies as a home-grown player as the Teessiders signed him from Australian amateur side Bayswater City.

Jones signed for the Reds on a three-year deal on Tuesday after the two clubs agreed a fee and he passed a medical with the Merseyside giants on Monday evening. But, despite his arrival, Hodgson is unlikely to pitch him into the side to face Manchester City in the Premier League next Monday.

Reina remains his number one, despite his bizarre own goal in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal, as the former Fulham boss looks to bring silverware to the club in his first season (Liverpool 2/1 To Win A Major Trophy).

Following the match Hodgson said: “Pepe Reina is very disappointed. I thought he did very well as he’s struggled with a shoulder injury.”

Meanwhile, Hodgson is hopeful that Javier Mascherano will stay at Anfield, despite confirming that he will sell the Argentine midfielder if a good offer is made for his services.

On Mascherano, who has been linked with a move to Italian giants Inter Milan (Evens Serie A Outright) to be reunited with former Reds boss Rafael benitez, Hodgson said: “As yet we haven’t had any offers. There’s two weeks to go in the transfer window and some of these clubs for some reason like to come in with offers on the 28th or 29th of August.

“But we want to keep him here and we will keep him here unless an offer comes along that is correct – one that is commensurate with his value and one where we would think it would be wrong to turn down because we’ve said to him if that offer comes in we’ll accept it.

“At the moment it’s not there, it’s not even on the horizon. If all these clubs are interested it would be nice if they contacted Liverpool one day.”

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Cesc Fabregas

The Gunners captain is away with Spain at the World Cup finals but the Catalan giants’ pursuit of his signature is well documented, with incoming Barca president Sandro Rosell looking to bring in a marquee player.

Fabregas appears to be keeping his options well and truly open, however, as he instead concentrates on Spain’s bid to add the world crown to the Euro 2008 title (Spain 11/4 Outright).

The 23-year-old told The Mirror: “I haven’t said that I will definitely leave Arsenal.

“Everything is possible. Now I have my head and my focus on the World Cup.

“I am very proud to be captain of Arsenal and I love the club and have respect for them. It gave me much pride to be made captain.”

Fabregas joined Arsenal as a 16-year-old and has gone on to make almost 200 career appearances for the north Londoners.

But Vilassar de Mar-born central midfielder has found it harder to establish himself in La Roja’s XI since his debut in 2006, with strong competition from the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, David Silva, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets and Marcos Senna over the years.

Spain have made it through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup where they face Paraguay in Johannesburg on Saturday (Paraguay 7/1, draw 11/4, Spain 1/2 – 90 Minutes).

And Barcelona star Xavi reckons Vicente del Bosque’s men are finding form at just the right time after losing their opening group game to Switzerland despite dominating over 90 minutes.

Speaking after the win over Iberian peninsula neighbours Portugal in the second round, the 30-year-old said: ?We played a great game. It was a great collective effort.

“We maintained possession and we wanted to play our style of football.

“Portugal basically gave us the ball. They tried to regain possession for counter-attacks but we dealt with it.

“We really enjoyed our football. It was the best match we’ve played in this World Cup so far.

“We controlled the ball in both halves but maybe attacked more in the second.

“We scored the goal and then we could enjoy it more.”

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James has been selected as part of boss Fabio Capello’s 30-man provisional squad with fellow keepers Joe Hart, of Manchester City, and West Ham’s Rob Green. All three keepers look set to make the final 23-man squad, as it would be a strange move indeed from the Italian tactician if he were to travel to the World Cup with just two goalkeepers.

“I genuinely don’t know where I am. Mr Capello does not give too much away,” said James. “The way he sets his squad out means it is no longer a case of a first XI with an additional number of players.

“All I know is that I am totally fit and happy with myself and my form. And I’d like to think that other people are also happy with me.”

In some ways it is perhaps not such a surprise that the keepers, and maybe even Capello, are at this time unsure of who will be the number one at the 2010 World Cup. Football pundits have been divided on the issue for some time, with good cases to be made for all three to take the number one jersey.

At 39-year’s-old, James is the oldest man in the squad and the most experienced of the three keepers involved, with 39 international caps to his name.

Rob Green, 30, has nine caps, while 22-year-old Joe Hart has just one international cap – in a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago in 2008.

Green started England’s last friendly fixture, a 3-1 win over Egypt, and some have suggested he will be the main man in South Africa. England goalkeeping legend and the country’s all-time most-capped player, Peter Shilton, has voiced his concern that the goalkeepers don’t know who the number one is and has backed Green.

Shilton feels if Capello confirmed who his top stopper is now, it would give the chosen number one a massive confidence boost ahead of the tournament in South Africa.

At the start of the 2009/2010 season many expected James to be the number one by the time the World Cup came around but the Portsmouth veteran has suffered with injuries over the course of the season and has played less football than either Hart or Green.

However, James has done it all before and is as good a shot-stopper as any, although there may be occasional questions about his decision making but these have grown less frequent as he has matured.

Joe Hart, who spent the 2009/2010 season on loan at Birmingham City, was named as the Premier League?s top keeper in the PFA Team of the Year and many believe the youngster has proved himself enough ahead of the international showpiece.

However, at 23-years-old and with just one full season of Premier League football behind him (although he did enjoy a brief spell as City’s number one in the 2008/09 season before the arrival of Shay Given), there are question marks over his experience, with the goalkeeping position one of the most stressful in major international competitions – especially if penalties are required.

England face two friendly fixtures ahead of their first game against the USA in Group C on June 12  (England 8/15 to beat the USA in the World Cup betting market).

Capello will lead the Three Lions in warm up fixtures against Mexico (May 24) and Japan (May 30), with whoever starts in goal in those games the most likely candidate to be England?s first choice when the tournament gets underway.

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