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WAYNE ROONEY is fit to go for Manchester United at Sunderland on Sunday

WAYNE ROONEY is fit and raring to go for Manchester United at Sunderland on Sunday.

The 34-goal striker has shrugged off a groin strain and returns to training today.
United boss Alex Ferguson had feared Rooney's season was over after he suffered the injury eight days ago.
But the 24-year-old has once again defied medical opinion to declare himself fit and give United a massive boost in the Premier League title race.
Rooney has had a number of injury problems in the last two months.
He first started to suffer from an inflamed kneecap and then damaged tendons in his ankle in the Champions League quarter-final in Bayern Munich.
Despite being on crutches and having a foot cast he missed only one game and was back for the return tie with Bayern.
He aggravated the injury in that game but returned for the Manchester derby before picking up his latest groin problem during a training session.
Rio Ferdinand, who has missed the last two games with a groin injury, will also train today and believes he will be fit for the Sunderland game.

Arshavin admire to Barcelona

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says he's been left disappointed by comments from Andrey Arshavin revealing the Russian's admiration for Barcelona.
The 28-year-old - signed from Zenit St Petersburg during January last year - is currently battling to be fit due to a calf problem, and may not make the trip to Blackburn on Monday night.
Earlier this week, though, the Russian playmaker talked up Barcelona, who knocked Arsenal out of the Champions League, and claimed playing for the Spanish giants at some stage would be "would be the peak of my career".
It is not the first time such quotes attributed to Arshavin have hit the headlines, the Russian having questioned Arsenal's direction more than once during a season of frustration.
While Wenger continues to take such stories with a pinch of salt, given their source from overseas, the Arsenal manager firmly believes his team must commit 100 per cent to the Gunners' cause.
"Yes, I am very disappointed because he shows a completely different attitude," said Wenger.
"He wants to extend his contract with us and stay with us, so the noise coming out of Russia is very difficult to explain.
"He looks to be very happy here, so you should ask him where it comes from."
Wenger declared: "We do not, of course, accept that. When you are at Arsenal, you are at Arsenal. When you are somewhere else, you are somewhere else.
"I believe that your pride makes first that you defend your club.
"Everybody has the freedom to speak, but you want to make sure first of all that you respect your club."
Wenger, though, reflected: "I just put one question mark behind the things that come back translated.
"Usually you have direct access to him, you can ask him where that comes from.
"I don't forbid you to talk to him, but I take with a little bit of distance what comes back translated sometimes with the help of some agents who want to move the players."
Wenger, though, concedes he will need to strengthen his squad after another campaign, which was blighted by injury to key men, failed to deliver a trophy.
Marouane Chamakh's arrival is set to be officially confirmed once the Morocco striker's contract with Bordeaux expires in the summer.
William Gallas, Sol Campbell and Mikael Silvestre will all see their deals finish at the end of the season, so Wenger may well look to bolster his defence, with Fulham centre-back Brede Hangeland a potential target.
"I will try to do what I want to do as quickly as possible, but it does not only depend on me," he said.
"Certainly, we will announce one player before the World Cup, but after that we will see."
Wenger, however, maintains his playing staff does not need major surgery, saying: "I believe in the squad I have and if I can make an addition to the squad - two or three maximum - then we will do it."

Luka Modric is MAN UTD No 1 summer transfer target

MANCHESTER UNITED have made Luka Modric their No 1 summer transfer target.

The Red Devils are preparing a £25million bid for Tottenham's 24-year-old Croatian midfielder.
United boss Alex Ferguson sees Modric as a young Paul Scholes, an attacking midfielder and ball player who can make United tick.
Fergie was even full of praise for Modric in his programme notes ahead of their 3-1 home win over Spurs on Saturday.
Talking about the 5ft 8in player and other small talents in football he commented: "And I give you another wee man who'll be at Old Trafford this afternoon: Luka Modric, who is playing out of his skin at the moment."
Modric signed for Spurs from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008 after impressing for Croatia in the European Championships.
He signed a six-year contract after the clubs agreed a £16.5m fee.
Modric struggled early in his first season as he was played out of position by Juande Ramos as a deep-lying midfielder and also had knee trouble.
It was only when Harry Redknapp took over and pushed him further forward that his career at White Hart Lane took off.
His start to this season was curtailed by a broken leg in August but he returned in December and has been in great form during Spurs' push for a Champions League spot.
The move for Modric is bad news for Michael Carrick, who looks to have lost favour with Ferguson.
Carrick has only started one of the last five games after two poor performances against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Spurs boss Redknapp is a huge fan of Carrick and may insist on him being part of any Modric deal.



Barcelona 1-0 Inter - Inter through to Champions League final

Jose Mourinho led Inter Milan into "paradise" as the Italians reached the Champions League final following a 3-2 aggregate win over Barcelona.
Inter held a 3-1 lead from the first leg but were forced to dig deep after Thiago Motta was sent off two minutes short of the half-hour mark.
The Italians defended heroically throughout and held on to advance to next month's final in Madrid, despite Gerard Pique's late goal.
And Mourinho says this victory will be talked about for decades in Italy.
"It was epic and perfect - in 40 years they will talk about this team's heroics in Barcelona," he said after the match.
"My team is in paradise with this victory," he added.
Mourinho was delighted to beat a Barcelona side that had won everything in sight last year and that he considers to be the very best.
"We beat the best team around and I am happy, but we have three finals left," he said, in reference to his side's pursuit of a league, cup and Champions League treble.
"I hope the fans enjoy the win and go to meet the players at the airport - if I could I would give my players a week off because they deserve it, but we have a game at the weekend," he said.
And Mourinho, who admitted he is a bad loser, believes his side deserved a draw on the night.
"To lose the game 1-0 is the biggest defeat of my life - we deserved a 0-0," he said.
Mourinho was forced to change striker Goran Pandev for defender Cristian Chivu after the former picked up an injury in the warm-up, and the Portuguese coach says that switch limited Inter's attacking aspirations.
"The game started badly because Pandev couldn't play. I had to change and play Chivu, who played an exceptional game, but he is very defensive and we lost a lot of our attacking options with that change," he said.
But Inter prevailed to reach a European Cup final for the first time since 1972.
The Italians face Louis van Gaal's Bayern Munich in Madrid on May 22 and Mourinho is relishing the meeting with his former mentor at Barcelona.
"Louis is a winner and I'm a winner - we will both want to win and we are both going for three trophies, so we are in a similar position and neither of us will be saving ourselves for the final, which I think is a good thing," he said.
Meanwhile, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was philosophical in defeat.
"Congratulations to Inter, they have beaten us over two games and good luck to them - any team can choose how they play and I have no complaints," he said.
"We tried through the middle and down the wings, but we couldn't find a way through - it was difficult because there was no space between their defence and their midfield and they defended very well," he added.
Having won six trophies in 2009, Barca's sole chance of a trophy is now in the domestic league this season, and Guardiola says his players will be in the right frame of mind for this weekend's tough game at Villarreal.
"We'll pick ourselves up, the players are professional and they will want to win the league," he said.

CRISTIANO RONALDO is already planning his Real Madrid exit

CRISTIANO RONALDO is already planning his Real Madrid exit.

Ex-Manchester United superstar Ronaldo moved to the Bernabeu in a world record £80million move last summer.
But the Portugal striker admits he will not finish his career with the Spanish giants.
Ronaldo, 25, insists he will call time on his stay in Madrid once he has a similar haul of silverware to what he won at Old Trafford.
During his time at United, Ronaldo claimed three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups and the Champions League.
He was also crowned World Player of the Year in 2008 after smashing an astonishing 42 goals in the 2007-2008 season.
Ronaldo said: "Football is all about cycles. I believe that you are in teams for cycles.
"If you have already won everything with a team you have to change and that's what happened to me with United.
"I wanted a different football and different goals and I am very happy to have taken this decision. Alex Ferguson understood my decision. I continue to talk to him.
"I spent several years wanting to play in Madrid but I don't see myself here at 40."
Despite spending over £200m last summer, Real face the very real prospect of ending the year empty handed.
Manuel Pellegrini's men are a point behind Barcelona with four games left to play.
But Ronaldo believes Real will pip the defending champions to the title.
He is also hoping his Portuguese compatriot Jose Mourinho can do them a favour tonight by defeating Barca in their Champions League semi-final.
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Ronaldo added: "It will be an incredible game. It will be difficult for both of them.
"Barca has to come back and Inter have to defend the two goals.
"It's very difficult to know who I want to win, although I would prefer Barca to lose and be eliminated.
"I am from Real Madrid and I like my club and if Barcelona crash out of Europe it would be something that could affect them in the league and which we could take advantage of.
"It would be a bad year if we don't win the league because a club like this has to always win something every year.
"Not winning this year wouldn't be a failure, but it would be a lost year. But I am confident we can win the league."

West Ham - Zola leaving is possible

West Ham co-owner David Gold admits there is a very real possibility that efforts to persuade Gianfranco Zola to stay as manager may fail.
The future of the Hammers boss is in doubt after Gold's partner David Sullivan claimed on Wednesday that the Italian could resign at the end of the season.
Zola has not enjoyed the best relationship with the former Birmingham City owners since they rescued the debt-ridden club from the brink of administration with a £50million takeover in January.
Zola clashed with the pair over the club's decision to complain to the Premier League about Fulham's weakened team against Hull, while Sullivan's description of the team's performance against Wolves as "pathetic" did little to ease tensions between the two parties.
With West Ham now all but assured of their top-flight status, Zola is thought to be considering leaving the club.
Gold denied that Steve McClaren and Avram Grant had been contacted about taking over from Zola, but he concedes that the diminutive Italian may leave Upton Park after the club's remaining games against Fulham and Manchester City.
"I have not spoken to, and am not speaking to, any other managers about taking over at West Ham," Gold said.
"I haven't spoken to Franco since Sunday but what I do know is that he's preparing for the away match at Fulham (on Sunday).
"I'm going to the training ground on Friday as usual. I'll talk to him then.
"I hope he stays, but him leaving is a scenario, it is a possibility.
"He has had a tough time. He's had two years at West Ham and for a good part of that time he didn't know who was running the club. He's had bad luck as well.
"He could say 'I have done a fantastic job, I have got West Ham out of jail when I was given a chance and I have managed to go through all that and keep West Ham in the Premier League'.
"You could make a case for it. Do I believe that he will? There's always a possibility."
Gold also sought to dampen fears that the likes of Matthew Upson, Robert Green and Carlton Cole could leave Upton Park as part of a fire sale this summer.
"I hope our best players will be with us next season," Gold said.
"I hope they sign new contracts and remain settled at the club.

Mancini wants to sell Emmanuel Adebayor, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Wayne Bridge and Stephen Ireland

ROBERTO MANCINI is ready to dump £50million worth of talent out of Manchester City in the summer.

He will also demand full power over all transfers in and out of Eastlands.
Boss Mancini wants to sell Emmanuel Adebayor, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Wayne Bridge and Stephen Ireland.
A £50million bid for Fernando Torres will kick off his efforts to reshape the side.
The Italian is close to leading City into the Champions League for the first time and planning radical changes he regards as vital to help him lift the Premier League title in 2010-11.
Adebayor, 26, cost £25m from Arsenal last year and has hit 13 goals in 28 games.
Wright-Phillips, 28, returned to City in August 2008 for £8.5m from Chelsea.
Mancini has started him in only six games, while the player has been at odds with the manager on the training ground and with the club over a new contract.
Bridge, 29, cost £10m from Chelsea in January 2009.
His season has been hit by injury and personal problems involving his ex-fiancee Vanessa Perroncel and former Chelsea pal John Terry.
Midfielder Ireland, 23, has been with the club since he was 15.