The former Mallorca boss has guided Sevilla to impressive back-to-back wins over Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid in his first two matches since replacing Antonio Alvarez, who was sacked after a run of one win in five fixtures.

Now, the resurgent rojiblancos face 16th-placed Sporting, who have picked up two points from their last four matches, although Sevilla striker Alejandro Alfaro is not expecting an easy game (8/1 Sevilla 2-0 in Correct Score Betting).

He said: “It will be a fiercely disputed game, but we’re working really hard and we are going there to win it.”

Sporting have a decent home record against Sevilla but lost both meetings with the Andalusians last season, but they catch a break with a couple of injuries potentially depriving Manzano of two key men.

Sporting coach Manuel Preciado recognises the opportunity that presents itself because Sevilla wingers Jesus Navas and Diego Capel may be missing from the line-up.

“It’s better for me,” he told Marca.”Possibly for the fans not, but for me it is. This team has great speed and if neither of them play it’s best for us.”

Sporting captain Rafael Sastre admitted in AS: “We all know the potential that Sevilla have. They have a squad of very versatile and, most notably, very fast players Capel, (Diego) Perotti and Navas being very good examples.

“The change of coach has been good for them, or so it seems, and now they are a more difficult team to beat than a few weeks ago.”

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England

The Manchester United forward has travelled with the rest of the squad despite strong allegations over his private life being made in the Sunday tabloids.

Speculation suggesting Rooney might pull out has proven to be unfounded and he is set to partner hat-trick Jermain Defoe up front against the notoriously stingy Swiss defence.

Coach Fabio Capello will be delighted to call on Rooney’s services as he looks to take another step towards restoring the feel-good factor around the national side (Rooney 4/1 – First Goalscorer).

The Italian is already without Peter Crouch and Bobby Zamora while Emile Heskey retired from international football after the World Cup.

Capello also has Carlton Cole and Darren Bent at his disposal in Switzerland although both are still feeling their way on to the big stage and their lack of experience would have been a worry without Rooney.

But one player whose lack of experience will not count against him is Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Capello admits he was forced to bring the 23-year-old back down to earth after his debut in a friendly two summers ago which explains his lack of action in South Africa a couple of months ago.

“He probably started to play in the first XI too early,” said Capello. “He started to think ‘I am the best’.

“You have to understand what happens in the mind of the young player. Sometimes it is this. But in two years he has come back.”

Capello added: “He improved a lot last year when he played at Birmingham. That was a really important period for him.

“With any young player, the most important thing is his quality. Now it is really up to him.”

Swizterland drew 0-0 with Australia in a friendly on Friday so Tuesday’s game marks the start of the qualifying campaign and coach Ottmar Hitzfeld insists Rooney remains the danger man (Switzerland 16/5 – To Keep A Clean Sheet against England).

He claimed: “Fabio Capello is not able to leave a player of his class out.

“I am no psychologist but Wayne Rooney is looking sharp and I am sure he will perform well.

“The only reason he didn’t do well in the World Cup was that he was injured beforehand and didn’t have time to make his fitness up in time for the tournament.”

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Wayne Rooney

The Manchester United star is in the spotlight after stories in the News of the World and the Sunday Mirror.

But an FA spokesman said that, as things stand, Rooney will be on board when the players head to Basle for their Euro 2012 qualifier.

Rooney had a hand in all three of Jermain Defoe’s goals against Bulgaria on Friday night in the 4-0 win at Wembley, and is expected to start providing he is in the right frame of mind.

The 24-year-old had ended a five-month goal drought in his club’s 3-0 Premier League win over West Ham last week.

If he does not play, Capello has a problem as to who should partner Defoe, with Peter Crouch and Bobby Zamora unfit.

West Ham’s Carlton Cole or Sunderland’s Darren Bent could earn a start against the Bulgarians.

In the absence of the injured Michael Dawson in defence, Capello must decide between West Ham’s Matthew Upson, Everton’s Phil Jagielka or Bolton’s Gary Cahill.

“I have to decide about the position but Cahill is young and has a big future,” said Capello.

“It is good for the players who have not played a lot of games to come into the team when we are doing well. It is not so easy when we are not.”

The England (2/9 to win qualifying group G) manager says Rooney revelled on Friday in a slightly deeper position than he has been used to.

“Rooney was always been given the licence to move around freely but this time he had to come back more and to play in the hole,” said Capello.

“With James Milner left, Theo Walcott on the right and then Adam Johnson later, it was a great position for him.

“It depends on the opponents. If they put one midfielder in front of their back four the position Rooney played is not as easy.

“But in this game, with Defoe running behind the defence I chose it for him.”

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The holders were on Monday preparing themselves for an overall trip of around 1,000 kilometres – including a stay in the French city of Cannes – on a coach because of the flight complications caused by the the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland.

The revised plan has led to suggestions Barca could suffer from heavy legs and tired minds when they finally arrive in Italy.

However, Catalan midfielder Busquets said there would be no complaints from the players.

He said: “We are in with a chance to reach another final and we don’t want to throw that away.”

He added: “We know Inter will make it tough for us. We have been having a lot of big games and it’s not the ideal way to travel to Milan, but there can be no excuses. We have to get a good result that will allow us to go into the second leg with confidence.”

The two teams met in the group stages of Europe’s premier club competition earlier this season – Barca drew 0-0 in Milan and beat Inter 2-0 at the Nou Camp – but Busquets has those games will count for precious little at the knockout stage of the tournament.

Jose Mourinho accused his Serie A title-chasers of standing and admiring the Spanish champions following the defeat and Busquets expects the Portuguese tactician will have done his homework.

He said: “Inter know us better and they will be better prepared for our tactics.”

Mourinho is desperate improve on Inter’s record of having not won a major European trophy since the European Champion Clubs’ Cup in 1965 and Busquets has warned it could be a difficult night (2/1 Internazionale – To Qualify).

He added: “Their confidence is high after getting through against teams like Chelsea and the fact that there is a chance of making the final will mean they come out really fired up.”

France international Eric Abidal is struggling to shake off a thigh injury but was expected to travel along with 20-year-old reserve defender Andreu Fontas in the only new additions to the squad that had to settle for a goalless draw with local rivals Espanyol in La Liga at the weekend.

However, coach Pep Guardiola is still missing Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta, who could be out until mid-May with a hamstring tear, and Ukraine international Dmitrio Chygrynskiy, who is ineligible.

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Inter Milan

Reigning champions Barca were forced to take to the road for the San Siro showdown on Sunday afternoon due to air travel restrictions in force across Europe caused by the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano.

However Mourinho feels the Spanish Primera League giants will not be too affected for the game given that they enjoyed an overnight stop in the French resort of Cannes en-route to Italy.

He said: “I don’t think it will matter. It is their body, their mind that has to respond.

“If it happened to me, I would try to transform a problem into motivation, something to enjoy, to have the squad together due to a difficulty.

“It doesn’t seem like a drama to me.”

Mourinho also acknowleged that Barca’s Argentinian international Lionel Messi (Messi 8/11 Anytime Goalscorer) deserves ’special attention’, but ruled out man-marking the player, who has scored 40 goals for his club in all competitions this season.

“Above all let’s see how they play because I don’t know,” Mourinho added. “None of us know. He could play right, left, centre. We don’t know.

“What we know is that he is an important player and football, for me, is not about marking man to man. It’s not for me.

“It is not one against Messi and 10 v 10, it will be 11 v 11, although he deserves special attention.”

Barca managed to draw at Inter in Group F earlier in the competition before winning the return match 2-0 at the Nou Camp and Mourinho admitted they were ‘far superior’ in that game. However he does not feel that will have any bearing on their semi-final (Inter 19/10, Inter 11/8, draw 23/10 90 Minutes) meeting.

“In the [second] game in the group, Barca showed that they are far superior. They won easily, deserved to win and in that game we were not capable of responding to them,” he said.

“But that was November, many months ago. They have followed their path, we have followed ours and it seems like we are a lot better than we were in November.

“I accept that they are favourites – this does not offend me – but I think it’s 50/50.”

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