UFO Info Week-End

Assuming the former Manchester United icon plays his most likely partners in the midfield quartet appear to

Assuming the former Manchester United icon plays, his most likely partners in the midfield quartet appear to be Nicky Butt, Owen Hargreaves and Frank Lampard.Hargreaves has not started an international since being forced off early on in the World Cup tie against Argentina last summer, but has been playing in his favourite position for Bayern Munich and hopes now to remind Sven Goran Eriksson of his credentials “My best position is central midfield,” he said. He’s expected to train with the rest of the squad today and we remain quietly confident that he’ll be available for Saturday’s game.”The expectation is also that Beckham will address the media early this morning, when there are some interesting questions to be asked, however optimistic he claims to be about playing. It is a match they must win to avoid the need for victory away to Turkey next month, and with three other midfielders already out and two more less than fully fit, the loss of Beckham would feel like a psychological as well as a tactical blow.Before the players flew out to the Balkans, where sightseers were lining the airport road to catch a glimpse of them, the official word was: “David had a session in the gym with the England physio, Gary Lewin, which went well. David Beckham is hardly in need of any further publicity before the launch of an autobiography destined to become the biggest selling football book in publishing history, but he was the centre of attention from Manchester to Macedonia yesterday and will be again today.
Interest in the England’s captain groin is verging on the prurient as he seeks to prove his fitness for tomorrow’s European Championship qualifying tie.

Their secretary general, David Collins, said: “We liaised closely with Newcastle and at their behest sent Craig Bellamy for an intense medical assessment at a world renowned specialist. He has stated that Craig was fit to resume training with Wales and will play providing there is no reaction.”* The Scotland captain, Paul Lambert, will wait until tomorrow before deciding whether to risk his injured ankle in the Euro 2004 Group Five qualifier against the Faroe Islands.. Bellamy’s knee condition is not new and plagued him before his move to Tyneside. Without his pace to support Alan Shearer, Newcastle have slipped into the relegation zone, with one point from three games, and out ofthe Champions’ League. Newcastle badly require his services at Goodison Park a week tomorrow.The FAW remained unrepentant last night. I said I would be training and if I had a problem I would take myself off.”Newcastle’s chief concern is that Wales lack the necessary insurance cover to make good any long-term damage to one of their principal assets. I went into the Serbia game with knee problems but it is OK again and that gives me an extra 20 per cent straight away I have spoken to Bobby Robson.

In November the Newcastle manager attracted hate mail from the Principality when he pulled the forward out of a qualifier in Azerbaijan. When the two teams met in Cardiff in March, Robson was confronted by a distraught Bellamy, who had driven through the night after being accused of racially aggravated behaviour at a Cardiff nightclub.Bellamy said he was in the same condition as when he scored Newcastle’s last-minute winner in their Champions’ League encounter with Feyenoord, which took them into the second group phase.”Then, I was not playing in matches but I was training I am fit, I look after my body. I’m in the best shape I could possibly be.”This is the third occasion in which Robson has been dragged into Bellamy’s relationship with Wales. “I explained the situation to the [Newcastle] physio and he said he did not see it as an issue I’ve been training really hard, my knee is fine. The Wales manager, Mark Hughes, would not directly address the allegation that he had been negligent in taking a player to Italy whom he knew to be unfit, but added darkly that he would “address the allegations on his return”.Speaking before Newcastle sent their letter to Cardiff, Bellamy appeared to back Hughes fully against his club manager.