FOOTBALL

Rafael van der Vaart has revealed that he is racing to be fit in time for a comeback to the Tottenham squad this weekend, as Spurs prepare to face north London rivals Arsenal in an all-important match up.

Unless you're a staunch Real Madrid fan, you would be forgiven a tinge of sympathy for Leonid Slutsky and his men, as they prepare to take on the 9-time European champions in the first leg of their Round of 16 encounter.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Rio Ferdinand's influence could prove crucial in convincing Paul Pogba to remain at Old Trafford past the end of the season.

It's N-Day for Andre Villas-Boas and his boys in blue... Napoli Day, that is.

Andre Villas-Boas has claimed that he has support from Roman Abramovich in his methods at Chelsea, but the manager has admitted his job would be made a little easier if the owner came out and publicly supported him.

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has cautioned Newcastle they face losing striker Demba Ba in a cut-price deal, unless they can agree terms on a new contract.

Italian media are claiming that Wesley Sneijder is keeping an eye on the developments at Chelsea this season, with the playmaker considering a move to the club if Andre Villas-Boas leaves as manager.

Liverpool have released a statement in reply to black community groups from Merseyside, with the Reds insisting that they are taking every necessary step to ensure that they help racial minorities.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he no longer has to dole out the "hairdryer treatment" to underachieving players.

Arsenal are currently working out a balance between how much money to invest in the current squad this summer, and how much to spend on new players, according to numerous reports, as the club's Supporters Trust met this week.

Liverpool striker Andy Carroll is targeting a place in Sunday's Carling Cup final and believes he has begun to justify his £35m price-tag, 13 months after his record-breaking move from Newcastle.

There has been a lot of speculation on who Abramovich could turn to, in the event that AVB fails to persuade the squad to play some good football in Italy. The most recent name to hit the list is Spaniard Rafa Benitez.

If making football fans angry were a sport, Newcastle owner Mike Ashley would have to take the cake, in English football at least.

Liverpool are targeting Barcelona and Real Madrid duo Sami Khedira and Ibrahim Afellay, according to reports, with the duo firmly in Kenny Dalglish's sights for the summer transfer window.

Rio Ferdinand has tweeted during his trip to watch Real Madrid play Racing Santander, with the Manchester United defender starting some banter with Cristiano Ronaldo as the striker scored within six minutes to take Madrid to a 4-0 win.

Alan Hansen has called on Chelsea players to come out fighting against Napoli this week, with Andre Villas-Boas under increasing pressure to deliver as his side faltered in both the FA Cup and the Premier League.

Arsene Wenger remains adamant that a top-four finish would constitute a successful campaign for Arsenal, after the club suffered a further setback to their tumultuous season this week.

Arsenal striker target Olivier Giroud is being watched by various clubs around Europe, according to French media, with the Frenchman continuing his top form for Montpellier.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas is quite keen on playing John Terry in the Club's Champions league knockout clash on Tuesday, even though the former England captain is not a hundred per cent fit.

Brazil forward Leandro Damiao has revealed that Tottenham have made enquiries over his availability in the summer.

Newcastle's ground has once again been targeted by graffiti, with fans continuing to voice their displeasure at the north eastern side's home being dubbed 'Sports Direct Arena' by owner Mike Ashley.

Dereck Chisora has been released by German police following his brawl with David Haye at a post-fight press conference in Munich, but both fighters could now face lifetime bans.

Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted that he may stay at Manchester United in some capacity when the Scot retires from the managerial position, with speculation starting to grow that he may be in his final years at the club.

Owen Coyle has lauded the impact of on-loan Arsenal winger Ryo Miyaichi, after the young winger helped Bolton to a 2-0 victory over Millwall in the FA Cup fifth round.

Kenny Dalglish is refusing to get carried away after Liverpool defeated Brighton 6-1 last night to progress through to the FA Cup quarter finals, with the Reds manager concentrating on the one Cup competition at a time.

Four goals by Argentinean star Lionel Messi saw Barcelona destroy Valencia in a very one sided 5-1 score line at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on Sunday, Feb 19.

In what must surely be the worst possible timing for an already beleaguered Arsene Wenger, a Daily Mail report has speculated that North London club Arsenal, may, in fact, be worth more than £1 billion!

The latest in a long line of rather humiliating defeats and reverses for Arsenal may just, according to a Sunday Mirror report, have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

Arsene Wenger's future with Arsenal looks bleak after his side's two back to back defeats against AC Milan and Sunderland in the Champions League and FA Cup respectively. There are rumours of Pep Guardiola (Barcelona coach) possibly replacing the 16-year reigning manager this summer.