It has been reported that Jonathan Woodgate will miss Euro 2004 after being told by specialists that his thigh injury will keep him out for two months.

The Newcastle defender seemed certain to be picked by England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson for the championships, but limped off against Chelsea on Sunday.

It was first thought Woodgate's injury wasn't too serious, but Newcastle manager Sir Bobby Robson is concerned.

He said: "Jon is desperately sad about it. I have not spoken to Sven, but it is two months for the tear to repair itself and that is without getting into any physical match conditioning." (Daily Express)

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Chelsea winger Damien Duff looks set to have an operation after dislocating his shoulder for a second time in four months.

The Irish international sustained a blow to the same shoulder he damaged against Fulham in December after falling in training on Thursday.

Duff is defintely ruled out of the club's Champions League match against Monaco next week and manager Claudio Ranieri fears he may need an operation to cure the problem.

Ranieri said: "I think Damien will need surgery but we will wait a week to see. He is very important to us, but that is football." (The Sun)

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David Beckham has backed Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves to star for England on the right of midfield in Euro 2004 this summer.

The England captain admits he was impressed by Hargreaves' performance in the friendly against Sweden last month after he sat the game out with a back injury.

Beckham has revealed that Hargreaves could take his spot on the right of midfield should he move into the middle.

He said: "He is a player that always works hard. He has the ability to send great balls in and create things. I was pleased with the way Hargreaves played. I did think that maybe with him on the right, I could play in the middle." (The Sun)

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Leeds United have insisted they will not sell England striker Alan Smith for less than £10m.

Birmingham are the first club to show an interest in Smith and have reportedly tabled a £7.75m bid.

The 23-year-old looks certain to leave Elland Road in the summer in a bid to ease the club's financial problems, but Leeds director Peter Lorimer is adamant he won't be sold on the cheap.

Lorimer said: "When I see what Alan has to offer and what other players have gone for, I put him as £10m in the current market. They talk about Michael Owen being valued at £25m, but nobody can tell me Alan isn't even half as good as Owen." (Daily Mail)

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Manchester United have denied reports they are about to sell striker Ruud van Nistelrooy to Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Van Nistelrooy has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford after reportedly having a series of bust-ups with his teammates and manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is hoping to open talks in the next two weeks, but Manchester United chief executive David Gill says the Dutch international is not for sale

He said: "We have already said he is not for sale. We've signed Ruud on a long contract and that wasn't done lightly or without planning. He has another four and a half years here and that is a fact." (Daily Star)