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Toffees suffer Jagielka blow

Author: Brandon Barker
Date: 08/11/2009
Football betting

Everton defender Phil Jagielka will not return before the end of the year following a setback in his recovery from a cruciate knee ligament injury.

The 27-year-old England defender picked up the injury against Manchester City in April and was hoping to be back in action in November.

However, a setback has necessitated a second round of surgery and Toffees boss David Moyes now believes a January return is more likely for Jagielka.

Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will give late fitness tests to Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard before deciding whether either of his star players will be fit enough to face Birmingham City on Monday night.

Skipper Gerrard has missed the last four games with a long-running groin problem which may require surgery.

Meanwhile, Torres is struggling with a hernia problem which forced him to return to Spain in midweek for a second opinion amid reports of an impending operation.

Can Liverpool win the Premier League this season? - Latest Football Betting

Striker Dimitar Berbatov believes the Premier League can only be won by either his Manchester United side or sportsbook favourites Chelsea this season.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's meeting of the two heavyweights at Stamford Bridge, the fit-again Bulgaria international believes the game will have a huge bearing on the outcome of this year's title race.

"I always think Manchester United and Chelsea will be the top two and I don't think this year will be any exception," he told MUTV.

"They will be our main rivals for the title.

"They have great players and a great coach. Everybody knows that. It is still early but I think the title will be between us two."

In golf, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods will play alongside each other in the final round of the HSBC Champions tournament after the former's third-day 67 secured a two-shot lead in Shanghai.

Mickelson stormed ahead of world number one Woods and fellow second-round leader American Nick Watney after birdieing three of the last five holes to move on to 14 under par for the tournament.

Jonathan Trott helped England to a 185-run victory over the Diamond Eagles in their first warm-up match on the tour to South Africa before declaring there is still plenty of room for improvement.

South African-born Trott made 85 as England racked up 294-7 in their 50 overs in Bloemfontein.

"It would have been nice to get a hundred but it was just good to get in the middle again," said Trott, who century on debut in the final Ashes Test during the summer helped win the series and secure his place in the tour party.

"There are still a few things to work on with my game that I could have done better out there, but it was a good start."

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