Sunderland's Phil Bardsley To Serve Four-Game FA Ban And He Appeared To Stamp On Chelsea's Juan Mata

Sunderland defender Phil Bardsley will serve a 4 match ban after deciding not to contest a Football Association charge of violent conduct and the 26-year-old was involved in an incident with Chelsea's Juan Mata for the 1st half of their home defeat against Blues on Saturday.

A Scotland international appeared to stamp on the Spanish winger referee Lee Probert did not take any action but the FA reviewed the incident using video evidence and bardsley was sent off for 2 bookable offences during the 1-0 home defeat by arch-rivals Newcastle on 20 August.

His absence represents a fresh blow for manager Steve Bruce saw record signing Asamoah Gyan head for United Arab Emirates side Al-Ain on a loan for the rest of the season just hours before kick-off on Saturday for a sardsley has been one of Bruce's most dependable men in the recent times operating largely as a left-back rather than in favoured position on the right last season.

Sunderland defender Phil Bardsley will miss Stoke, Norwich, West Brom, Arsenal.

International career for a 6 October 2010 Bardsley received a call up for the Scotland national team for the Euro 2012 qualifier against the Czech Republic on 8 October 2010 and he qualifies through his father's line coming from Glasgow and he made his debut on 11 October 2010 in a 3–2 defeat by World and European champions Spain, filling in the injured Alan Hutton.

UEFA Champions League group H match between FC Barcelona vs AC Milan at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Xavi believes AC Milan draw was pure bad luck and totally unfair the 31-year-old has spoken about his disappointment over the result against the Italian club and the claims the team plan to a bounce back against Osasuna and the Barcelona midfielder Xavi has stated that the 2-2 draw against AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday was down to bad luck.

The Catalan club looked set to win their opening group stage game after Pedro and David Villa scored to overturn Alexandre Pato's early goal for a thiago Silva's header in the 89th minute rescued a point for the Serie A champions, something Xavi believes was undeserved and what happened on Tuesday is pure bad luck, totally unfair, the 31-year-old told Barcelona TV.

The other day (2-2 draw versus Sociedad) we dropped our intensity in the 2nd half of the game for this time the team played well we pressurised them until the 90th minute and we had possession of the ball and the Spain international claims the reigning Liga and Champions League winners will now focus their attention on the upcoming clash against Osasuna.

We have to win now on Saturday for we'll battle on, we know we have a great team to the carry on winning things and we're competitive and it will makes us very excited and every year we start from scratch without looking back in the xavi has made 6 appearances for Barca in all competitions so far this season and the completing 430 minutes on the pitch.

International career for a Xavi Hernandez's abilities on the football pitch have led his teams to numerous titles and placed him among the most decorated footballers of all time and the playmaker has won major international titles with Spain and FC Barcelona in FIFA U-20 World Cup for the FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA World Cup and his successes on the European stage include winning the UEFA European Football Championship and the UEFA Champions League twice and the 2010 World Cup Xavi was named in Spain's squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, culminating in winning the World Cup title.

Tottenham Manager Harry Redknapp No England Talks Spurs Boss Insists He Has Not Held Discussions With The FA.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has denied he has held talks with a view to becoming the next England boss and the reports over the weekend suggested the Football Association was ready to dismiss Fabio Capello following the abject display against Wales in fact took England to within a point of the qualifying for Euro 2012.

Capello is set to step down regardless after the finals in Poland and Ukraine next summer for a England qualify and the Spurs chief Redknapp is thought to be the leading candidate as a successor and the former West Ham, Portsmouth and Southampton boss has made little secret of his interest in managing England for a he has denied he has already discussed the role with FA officials.

He said, in the London Evening Standard, Until I get offered the job I wouldn't have a decision to make at the moment i haven't spoken to anybody about being England manager and i want to see England do well, I want Capello to get them to the Euros and I want them to win it they win it under Capello, I definitely won't get it.

Redknapp's immediate focus is instead on Tottenham, who are preparing to host Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday lunchtime and he said, i love doing what I'm doing. I enjoy my job at Tottenham and i am lucky to be managing a top club, a great club, and I love it.

Liverpool Manager Kenny Dalglish Has Respect For Refs.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish maintains full respect for Premier League match officials after meeting with referees' chief Mike Riley and the Anfield boss was left irate in a weekend after he perceived of a pattern of inconsistent decision-making was continued in his side's 1-0 defeat at the Stoke.

Dalglish was angry referee Mark Clattenburg awarded Jon Walters a penalty of the forward duly converted and implied there was a bias against Liverpool and the Scot said he was

going to discuss a possible complaint with Liverpool owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner and his fury appears to a have calmed after talks with Riley.

Following a meeting with the general manager of professional game match officials and Dalglish told Liverpool's official website for a it was good to see Mike and we had an extremely informative and amicable discussion and has given us all a better understanding of how things operate it's our job to best represent the club and protect its interests we have the utmost respect for the job referees do and have never wanted or asked for any form of preferential treatment for a simply a level playing field for everyone.

We will continue to conduct ourselves in a dignified and respectful manner at all times of a from our perspective it was certainly worthwhile sitting down together and maybe it's something that should happen more often.

Rio Ferdinand Will Miss Manchester United's Opening Champions League Game against Benfica on Wednesday & Ferdinand Left out of 19-man Squad for trip to Portugal.

Rio Ferdinand was not in the 19-man squad that flew to Portugal on Tuesday morning, meaning United were without their 1st choice central defensive pairing as Nemanja Vidic is a currently missing with a calf problem.

And there was no place either for Federico Macheda or Mame Biram Diouf scored twice for the reserves in their win over Fulham on Monday night, and Jonny Evans and Patrice Evra shrugged off hip and the knee knocks picked up at Bolton on Saturday.

It is not thought Ferdinand has suffered a fresh injury after making his 1st appearance in a month during the 5-0 romp at the Reebok and with Chelsea due at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Sir Alex Ferguson is not wanting to take any chances with the 32-year-old Ferdinand out it is likely to mean a move into central defence for Phil Jones, outstanding at the full-back against Bolton would be making his debut in a competition.

Tom Cleverley has been ruled out as he recovers from the foot injury he picked up against Bolton and the michael Owen has also been included in the squad Dimitar Berbatov could be handed a rare start of a darren Fletcher Park Ji-sung and Ryan Giggs could also start as a ferguson has suggested he will rely on experience in the Estadio da Luz.

Manchester City Boss Roberto Mancini Cagey On Chances City Chief Targets Knockout Phase.

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is looking no further than reaching the knockout stages in the Champions League as the club prepare for a debut in Europe's premier competition and the big-spending City get their 1st taste of the Champions League on Wednesday night when they play host to Napoli at the Etihad Stadium in a opening game in Group A.

City have been tipped as one of the favourites to go all the way in this season's Champions League and Mancini is remaining cagey on their chances of lifting the trophy come May and i think it is normal for us because Manchester City is one of the best teams in England and Europe I hope, said Mancini.

For us it will be very important to do very well our job in group and our target is to go in the second stage fora former Inter Milan chief Mancini insists he is not worried about City's lack of experience in the Champions League feeling they have enough players in the ranks who have played before in the competition to handle the pressure.

Asked if there was extra pressure on his side, Mancini said, No I don't think this like I said before it will be a very important day it is always a football match difficult game probably for it's a football match and we have players with a lot of experience of a lot of our players have played in the Champions League and i don't think we have pressure for this game.

Derby County Defender Mark O'Brien Signs New Contract For a Four Year Deal.

Teenage Derby County defender Mark O'Brien has signed a four-year deal and the 18-year-old Republic of Ireland Under-19 international has seized his chance in the 1st team this season of a featuring in all 7 Rams games.

O'Brien has started 6 matches at centre-half starting in place of the injured Shaun Barker in five of the club's 6 Championship matches and the manager Nigel Clough told the club website for he has been playing well and deserves his contract of a O'Brien will now stay at Pride Park until the summer of 2015 and had to undergo heart surgery in Novemer 2009.

And Clough has been impressed with how he has come back of a he has had to overcome some challenging hurdles but his attitude has been exemplary and he has taken his chance because of the injuries of a he has shown to everybody he is an honest and the brave and committed player who will put and his head where some players would not even put of their feet.