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General Sports News

James adds to England woes

Author: Craig Williams
Date: 19/05/2009

England are facing a goalkeeper shortage ahead of next month's World Cup qualifiers after David James joined Ben Foster on the sidelines.

James will not play in Portsmouth's final game of the season after electing to undergo surgery on a long-running shoulder injury which forced him to miss Monday's 3-1 Premier League victory over Sunderland.

Pompey believe the veteran keeper will be fit for the start of the next campaign should he go under the knife this week and James will now miss the qualifying games against Kazakhstan and Andorra.

He joins Foster on the sidelines after the Manchester United keeper was ruled out for nine weeks following surgery on a ruptured ligament in his right thumb.

James' absense will undoubtebly affect the bettings odds ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.

Meanwhile, Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has warned Mark Hughes that he is expected to secure a top-six finish next season.

Speaking earlier in the week, Al Mubarak dismissed speculation which suggested Hughes could be axed in the summer after failing to secure European football for next season.

But, although lending his support to the former Wales and Blackburn Rovers boss, Hughes has been left under no illusions about the expectations he must satisfy next year.

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood does not believe Arsene Wenger will turn his back on the club to join Real Madrid.

Wenger has come under fire from disgruntled fans and shareholders in recent days on the back of a fourth trophyless season for the Gunners.

The criticism has coincided with fresh reports linking long-time admirers Real Madrid with a summer move for the Frenchman.

However, Hill-Wood is confident that Wenger will still be in the hot-seat at the Emirates Stadium when the new season kicks off in August.

In rugby union, Danny Cipriani has been left out of the England squad for the summer Test series against Argentina.

The Wasps fly-half has only been included in the Saxons squad, with Leicester stand-off Sam Vesty preferred in Martin Johnson's full squad.

There are recalls for 2003 World Cup winners Steve Thompson and Lewis Moody for the two games against the Pumas and an encounter with the Barbarians.

Meanwhile, Jonny Wilkinson claims he 'feels like a kid again' following confirmation of his switch to French rugby with Toulon.

The 29-year-old England fly-half has ended a 12-year association with Newcastle Falcons to take up a lucrative two-year deal with the French side.

Wilkinson is the latest in a long line of domestic players to make the switch across the Channel and the injury-plagued star claims the move has revitalised him.

In cricket, captain Chris Gayle has again denied that he is about to quit as the leader of the West Indies.

Ahead of the second Test defeat by England, Gayle had told reporters that he was considering bowing out, but the left-hander now insists that he has no plans to leave his post in the immediate future.

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