Saturday

"I have had more injuries this season than any other season. I don’t know why," lamented David Beckham in the Sun. The England captain only returned to first-team action at Real Betis yesterday following an ankle injury, the sixth of his brief Real Madrid career to date.

Roman Abramovich has pulled the plug on the £6.5m deal to bring Czech Republic international keeper Petr Cech to Stamford Bridge, reports the Daily Star, while the Daily Express suggest that Chelsea will in fact be bringing Cech’s compatriot, Tomáš Rosicky, to west London after the deal to sign Scott Parker collapsed.

Blackburn Rovers look like missing out on the signature of ex-Everton striker Brian McBride, who is set to join Fulham for £600,000 instead.

Austria manager Hans Krankl believes that when his side host England in their opening 2006 World Cup qualifier in Vienna next September, the Three Lions will be "tired after Euro 2004." And the highly-respected coach also thinks that his men will need little encouragement to overturn Beckham and Co, when he told the Sun: "If we win, the goal will be televised worldwide. That’s motivation enough."


Sunday

The News of the World claim that David Beckham wants former Manchester United team-mate Nicky Butt to come and join him in the Spanish capital.

And in the Sunday Mirror, Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz, who knows the England midfield player from his time as assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, admits: "Butt is a great player, a very nice guy and I like him very much. He's a wonderful professional."

Meanwhile, the champions could use Ole Gunnar Solskjær as part of the deal that takes Louis Saha to Manchester United, says the same paper, who also reveal that Chelsea have landed Charlton Athletic’s Scott Parker, having increased their initial offer to £9m.The England international is set to replace Emmanuel Petit, who is returning to his homeland in the summer.

However, the Blues have been made to wait until the end of the season before Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentinian defender Gabriel Heinze relocates to SW6, according to the Daily Star Sunday, who also report that Arsenal will not sign England Under-21 international Jermain Defoe until the summer.

"My left leg is shorter than my right," claims David Beckham in the News of the World. Apparently, the England skipper only discovered this fact when he "signed for Real and it showed up in the medical."

And the News of the World also suggests that goal machine Henrik Larsson could put pen to paper on a pre-contract agreement with Newcastle United as early as this week.

James Milner is being targeted by Manchester United, as well as a whole host of other top-flight clubs, alleges the Mail on Sunday, while the Sunday Express says that Fulham will replace the soon-to-be departed Louis Saha with Eidur Gudjohnsen and the Sunday People reveals that cash-strapped Leeds United could sell Elland Road and ground share with Yorkshire rivals Barnsley.


Monday

This morning’s headlines are dominated by news of Manchester United’s reported £10.5m capture of Fulham striker Louis Saha, with the champions having agreed a fee with the Cottagers last night.

The Daily Mirror reveals that West Ham will not sell Jermain Defoe to Arsenal for anything less than £12m this summer, while the same paper also says that relegation-threatened Pompey are interested in signing Newcastle United’s injury-prone forward Carl Cort on loan until the end of the season.

Bolton Wanderers’ inspirational captain Jay-Jay Okocha is set to commit himself to another year at the Reebok, suggests the Daily Star.

The Guardian alleges that Southampton have targeted ex-Marseille coach Alain Perrin as the man to replace the soon-to-be departed Gordon Strachan at St Mary’s next season.

"That is the worst injury I have played with," claimed David Beckham in the Sun, after the England skipper played through the pain barrier in his sides’ 1-1 draw in Seville last night.