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Tottenham and Real Madrid both have a key playmaker in doubt for their Champions League quarter-final first leg in Spain on Tuesday.The first 90 minutes of the final-eight clash is under threat of being overshadowed by the conspicuous absence of several big names; none bigger than Portuguese ace Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, who has netted 27 goals in La Liga this season, is struggling with a hamstring injury and sat out Real’s 1-0 loss to Sporting Gijon on Saturday.

That defeat ended manager Jose Mourinho’s nine-year, 150-game unbeaten run in league matches at home, a stretch that began when the Portuguese boss was at the helm of Porto and included tenures with Chelsea and Inter Milan.

The loss also gifted league rivals Barcelona an eight-point gap on top of the Spanish table, effectively narrowing Real’s hopes of a title in 2010-11 to one last resort – Europe.

To get there – and achieve his stated aim of winning the Champions League with three different clubs – Mourinho must extract the very best of a squad that could be reeling from the loss of Ronaldo and several other key players.

Los Blancos were also without French goal-scoring machine Karim Benzema, Brazilian full-back Marcelo and Spanish World Cup winner Xabi Alonso on the weekend, with only the latter likely of taking to the pitch against Tottenham.

Ronaldo is no certainty, with Mourinho admitting playing the attacking midfielder would be to ‘gamble’ with his fitness.

Spurs, meanwhile, will be hoping they can make it back-to-back Real losses at the Bernabeu when they pay a visit, but are sweating on the fitness of Welsh winger Gareth Bale.

The 21-year-old, who has proven indispensable to manager Harry Redknapp in Tottenham’s surprisingly successful European campaign, has been troubled by a lingering hamstring strain.

He sat out Spurs’ 0-0 draw with Wigan Athletic in the English Premier League as a precaution, but is expected to play some part in the quarter-final.

Spurs have only reached the semi-finals of the premier European tournament once before in 1962, and their limp league form heading into the home stretch has almost certainly resigned them to missing out next season.

Buoyed by their 1-0 away victory at AC Milan in the last round, as well as Real’s untimely injury concerns, Tottenham will be confident of taking at least an even ledger into their home leg next week.

Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Denmark international midfielder Christian Poulsen on a three-year contract from Juventus.

The 30-year-old former Sevilla and Schalke enforcer has joined the Reds for a fee in the region of £4.5million, having spent the last two seasons in Italy.

Poulsen has won more than 70 caps for his country and featured for the Danes at the World Cup finals in South Africa earlier this summer.

Poulsen's compatriot Daniel Agger is confident that his fellow Dane will fit in well on Merseyside.

He commented:"Christian would be a perfect addition to most of the big clubs in Europe, so he will certainly fit in here.

"He is a top player and will make us stronger. We need to have big signings so we can compete and he is one of those players.

"Christian will improve the team, but we need more improvements if we want to be at the top of the league this season."

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"Maybe he will find the pace of here a bit of a culture shock; he will have to get used to the extra high tempo.

"He has played in Italy, Spain and Germany and done very well, so I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be a success with Liverpool."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Chelsea will be looking to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat to Liverpool last week by beating fourth bottom Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The pressure on boss Andre Villas-Boas cranked up another notch after Glen Johnson’s well taken goal in the dying embers decided a game that the Blues never looked like winning. It’s been rumoured that the former Porto coaches job is on the line after he reportedly fell out with owner Roman Abramovic despite the Russian spending £13 million on him as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement. A decent, if uninspiring, start to the season hasn’t helped Villas-Boas’ cause although it would be unfair to criticise him just 12 games into his managerial career at Chelsea. The fact of the matter is that he hasn’t had nearly enough time to construct his own squad and implement his own ideas to full effect. Fans and pundit’s who likened him to former boss Jose Mourinho are now comparing their style’s and tactics to one another. One of the biggest criticisms of the Portuguese coach’s reign to date is his preference to play a high defensive line which is something that has come undone in the last couple of home games against Arsenal and Chelsea. John Terry’s lack of pace and David Luiz’s positional problems have been exploited time and time again this season and it’s no surprise to see they’ve conceded 19 goals league goals already with 11 coming at home. That is in stark contrast to Mourinho’s double winning debut season where the Blues conceded only 15 during the entire campaign. Under the ‘Special One’ Chelsea had a settled back four that was rarely altered and was the cornerstone of their success. Villas-Boas, on the other hand, can’t seem to make his mind up regarding a consistent for Terry with Luiz, Alex and Branislav Ivanovic all taking turns. Finding the right formula up front has also been a problem with the constant chopping and changing leaving players unable to build up any momentum. The form of Fernando Torres remains a worry whilst Daniel Sturridge staked his claim for the ‘number nine’ role coming off the bench to equalise last week. Villas-Boas will need to get his team selection and tactics spot this time around if he is to alleviate the pressure on his shoulders with a win against Wolves.

Mick McCarthy is another boss feeling the pinch of a poor start to the season with his Wanderer’s side now sitting fourth bottom after a run of one win in their last 10 games. That victory over Wigan before the international break was their first since beating Fulham at the end of August with the Midlanders taking two points from a possible 24  in between. Normal service was resumed last week as they were easily beaten by Everton at Goodison Park despite taking the lead through a Stephen Hunt penalty. McCarthy has been the subject of numerous moans and groans from sections of Molineux supporters with his team selection and substitutions all coming under fire in recent weeks. In fact the Wolves supremo has a similar sort of issue to his opposite number in the Chelsea dugout with his back four currently under pressure to stop leaking goals at such a rapid rate. Summer signing Roger Johnson was supposed to be the man to tighten up the back line and initially it looked like he had done just that. Unfortunately since the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on 27th August they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet conceding 19 goals in just nine games. As an ex-defender himself McCarthy will surely be doing all he can to get his rearguard securely bolted before they make the less than daunting trip to West London.

Chelsea – 5th

Last Five: Lost 2-1 v Liverpool (H), Won 1-0 v Blackburn (A), Lost 5-3 v Arsenal (H), Lost 1-0 v QPR (A), Won 3-1 v Everton (H)

Potential Starting X11: 1. P. Cech 2. B. Ivanovic 26. J. Terry [C] 4. D. Luiz 3. A. Cole 12. J. Obi Mikel 7. Ramires 8. F. Lampard 10. J. Mata 15. F. Malouda 23. D. Sturridge*

Injury News: Villas Boas has no new injury concerns with Michael Essien the only long-term absentee.

Key Player: Daniel Sturridge

You’d have to say that last week was rather special for the strike after he won his first England cap and came off the bench to score Chelsea’s equaliser against Liverpool. Whilst the Blues went on to lose the impact Sturridge had was evident with his energy, strength and desire up front giving his side an extra dimension in the final third. He’s already stated he want’s to be the number one striker at Stamford Bridge and it’s likely Villas-Boas will heed that request.

Match Fact: Chelsea’s record against Wolves at Stamford Bridge is an impressive one and they are currently unbeaten in the Premier League against the Midland side. The Blues have won all three top flight games scoring 11 goals and conceding only two.

Wolves – 13th

Last Five

Lost 2-1 v Everton (A)Won 3-1 v Wigan (H), Lost 3-1 v Manchester City (A), Drew 2-2 v Swansea (H), Lost 2-0 v West Brom (A)

Potential Starting X11

1. W. Hennessey 5. R. Stearman 14. R. Johnson [C] 16. C. Berra 3. G Elokobi 11. S. Ward  8. K. Henry 4. D. Edwards 20. N. Milijas 17. M. Jarvis 29. K. Doyle*

Injury News: Ronald Zubar is still out with a groin strain whilst Kevin Foley has been ruled out until Janaury with an ankle injury. Other than that McCarthy has no fresh injury concerns.

Key Player: Kevin Doyle

Goals haven’t flowed as regularly as usual for the Republic of Ireland striker despite his effort and commitment soaring to new levels this season. Playing up front on his own has seen Doyle take on extra responsibility and his constant running and closing down of defences will be a key part of Wolves’ game plan up against Chelsea’s weak defensive partnership of Terry and Luiz.

Match Fact

Wolves have failed to claim a league victory at Stamford Bridge for over 30-years with their last West London win coming in an Old Division One clash on 24 March 1979.

Last Time at Stamford Bridge

Premier League, 23 October 2010

Chelsea 2-0 Wolves

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Malouda, 23. Kalou, 81

Attendance:  41,752

Referee: Lee Probert

PREDICTION

Chelsea are continuing their transitional period under Villas-Boas and the constant comparisons with Mourinho and his title winning team aren’t doing them any favours. True, five of the starting line up against Liverpool were part of the 2004/05 title winning side but they are all seven years older and their new coach has identified the need for new blood. The likes of Sturridge and Juan Mata have performed admirably in amongst the experienced heads and those two should be the bright sparks against Wolves on Saturday. McCarthy’s side are desperately in need of a win to haul themselves away from danger with the dreaded festive period looming.

Score: 2-0

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Manchester United are likely to be without key defender Rio Ferdinand for the rest of the season.

The England captain has been struggling with a calf injury since the beginning of February, and United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed the 32-year-old centre-back could be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.

The English Premier League leaders will be also without defenders Rafael and John O’Shea for the visit of Bolton Wanderers to Old Trafford on Saturday.

“Rio has been out for a few weeks now and we are not looking at this as a short-term situation,” Ferguson said.

“He has not started training yet. We will be lucky to get him back for some part of the season.”

Ferguson himself will also be missing from domestic action, with a five-match ban for publicly criticising referee Martin Atkinson set to begin following the Bolton game.

The Scot has not yet decided if he will appeal against the suspension.

“It is disappointing, but it is in the past now,” he said. “It is the only industry where you can’t tell the truth.”

The fitness of club captain Nemanja Vidic is also a concern.

The Serbian international missed United’s Champions League victory over Marseille on Wednesday, also with a calf injury, and is not expected to play a part in the Bolton match.

“It has been a bad spell for us,” Ferguson said.

“Only a few weeks ago we had every defender fit and things were looking great but it has all just fallen apart in the last week or so.”

“Hopefully Jonny Evans may be fit for Saturday, even if it is a bit of a risk.”

“He has trained all week but he has been out for such a long time.”

Midfielders Anderson (knee), Owen Hargreaves (knee) and striker Michael Owen (groin) are also missing.

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But things are beginning to look more positive further up the pitch, with winger Antonio Valencia nearing full fitness and midfielder Park Ji-Sung also close to a return.

“Attacking-wise our options are good. Antonio Valencia is back and we gave him a spell on Tuesday night which was good,” Ferguson said.

“Ji-Sung Park has trained and could be available.”

“Bolton have done extremely well this season. It will be a big game for us this Saturday.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed renewed hope in their reported interest in trying to sign Brazil striker Luis Fabiano from Spanish side Sevilla.

The 29-year-old had previously ruled out a move to White Hart Lane, but appears to have had a change of heart.

He is quoted as telling ESPN: "I must admit it's only in the last few weeks I have understood just how big Spurs' ambition is."

The South American frontman had previously stated:"I have heard Tottenham Hotspur made an inquiry about me.

"But, with all respect, that is not somewhere I am going to be able to win the Premier League or the European Cup in the next three or four years.

"There would be no point in me joining Tottenham. I might as well stay at Sevilla, as it's the same thing.

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"Sevilla are actually bigger when you look at how much we have been in the European Cup, so there would be no point me moving to a smaller team."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Last week Steven Gerrard claimed that the players were to blame for Roy Hodgson’s unsuccessful spell in charge of Liverpool last season, with numerous aspects of the club captain’s comments standing out’. Gerrard was quoted as stating, ‘It was the players underperforming and not delivering. That was the sad part.’

Indeed, Gerrard was keen to remind people that when Hodgson got the sack he was ‘one of the players who came out after he left and made sure people knew it wasn’t just Roy Hodgson’s fault’. However, quite simply the club was not a happy place to be while Hodgson was at the club with Gerrard declaring that under Kenny Dalglish there were now ‘happy faces from top to bottom of the club now and we move forward.’

Gerrard’s comments make for an interesting debate over the importance of a manager’s relationship with his players. When Dalglish returned to the Anfield hotseat in January, the clubs fortunes dramatically improved in the second half of the season. Granted Dalglish managed to ship out the misfiring Fernando Torres and bring in the inspirational Luis Suarez, yet were Roy Hodgson’s motivational skills really that poor in comparison to Dalglish’s?

Hodgson was not helped by the fact he replaced Rafael Benitez, a man who had stamped his own identity on the football club. Following on from the Spaniard was always going to be difficult.

It is not the first case of professional footballers underperforming for a manager of proven pedigree. Arguably the most high profile case in history is Brian Clough’s doomed 44 day tenure at Leeds United, a story of such significance that it had first a book then a film dedicated to it.

In 1974, the England manager’s job had just been given to Don Revie, a man who had spent 13 enormously successful years at Leeds United. Clough, despite regularly stating his aversion to the club, would be the man to take the job.

Clough alienated key players such as Johnny Giles and Billy Bremner by reportedly telling them ‘You can all throw your medals in the bin because they were not won fairly.’ Clough’s short spell at Elland Road included just one victory, giving him the unwelcome record of being Leeds least successful permanent manager.

Upon leaving Leeds Clough would go on to have enormous success at Nottingham Forest, twice winning the European Cup and once the league title amongst other honours. Clearly Clough was an enormously talented manager, yet in the same manner as Hodgson, the players were not performing, or not willing to perform at their best. Without that, any manager is doomed.

Player power at football clubs is fascinating. Avram Grant, Jose Mourinho’s successor at Chelsea came within inches of managing Chelsea to the Champions League. Yet, stories have long been abound that in reality the clubs senior players such as John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba were as much involved in the decision making that season.

The most recent story surrounding the relationship between player and manger is at Manchester City. The Carlos Tevez and Roberto Mancini fallout is a debacle that continues to rumble on. The relationship between the former captain and the authoritarian boss is at an all time low, following the forwards alleged refusal to come off the substitute’s bench in last month’s match against Bayern Munich.

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Tevez’s seemingly had no future at the club, yet there are now hints that he may be offered a lifeline by Mancini and City, only time will tell.

The truth is, a manager is only as good as the sum of his parts. If players are motivated, willing and ready to take a manger’s ideas on board then success will follow. The best manager’s have proven that time and time again. However, looking at the above examples, we should not forget even the manager’s at the very top can fail if players are more concerned with their bottom line than putting everything in on the pitch week in week out.

What are your thoughts on the important relationship between player and manger? Comment and follow me on Twitter @CamHumphries

Costa Rican club Saprissa booked their place in the last four of the CONCACAF Champions League with a 2-1 win over Olimpia.Saprissa led 1-0 from the first leg at home through Armando Alonso Rodriguez’s goal and it was the midfielder who broke the deadlock in Thursday’s return fixture at Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano.Defender Gabriel Badilla set up his Costa Rica international teammate Rodriguez, who beat Olimpia goalkeeper Noel Valladares to open the scoring in the 25th minute.The Honduran hosts levelled seven minutes into the second half when striker Roger Rojas met Wilfredo Barahona’s corner to power the ball home and make it 1-1 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate.But Olimpia’s hopes of mounting a comeback were dashed just after the hour mark.Substitute Luis Cordero – who had only been on the pitch for five minutes after replacing Josue Martenez – struck to make it 2-1 and restore the two-goal aggregate cushion for Saprissa.They will now meet Real Salt Lake in the last four after the American side defeated Columbus Crew in an all-Major League Soccer quarter-final.Elsewhere, Monterrey will take on Cruz Azul in all-Mexican semi-final.

With Liverpool now following up their inquiry with a firm offer for young Rangers defender Danny Wilson, just who is the young Scot?

The 18 year old centre half was a revelation down at Ibrox last season and his ascension to the starting eleven came by circumstance after an injury to first choice defender Algerian Majid Bougherra.

Since that moment Wilson didn’t look out of place and was earning rave reviews for his composure, ability in the air and positional sense on the deck, and it is extremely rare for a young defender to have these qualities in abundance which explains Liverpool’s strong interest in him as well as a plethora of Premier League clubs. In total he’s made 24 appearances, scoring one goal.

The fee being floated about is around the £5m mark which considering the player’s age and relative inexperience seems a fair price outright, with the price likely to be topped up by bonuses and appearance clauses for the future if he delivers on his considerable potential.

David Weir seems to think it won’t be too much of a problem and believes he is destined for the top:

“Danny will handle it,

“He has handled everything else that’s been thrown in his path. He’s a good football player and a nice lad.

“I don’t think it’s rocket science, he just needs to keep doing what he’s been doing. If Danny does go then he will keep doing what he’s doing and stay the same lad that he is.

“He’s a great lad, he has been good to work with, and I wish him every success.”

Wilson is one of the hottest defensive prospects in Europe right now for his age and Liverpool now are front of the queue for his signature, but the consequences of him departing so young could have repercussions for the Glasgow outfit who will soon have to look at replacing captain and fellow centre half David Weir who at 40 years of age is no spring chicken.

With Smith’s hands tied by the club’s crippling debt, losing Wilson could represent a major loss for the former Scotland captain’s heir apparent and although the fee bandied about right now would be useful in the short-term, in the long-term it would hurt Rangers more than they would care to admit.

Written by James McManus

Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer

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Here is a list of the key players from every club in the Premier League. Some are goalscorers, some creators and some will have to step up and be leaders but all of them will play a pivotal role in the success of their clubs over the course of the season.

As every one of these players would no doubt tell you in a post match interview, ‘it’s a team game and i’m just really pleased for the lads and glad we got the three points and you know obviously it’s nice to get praise but it’s a team game….’ They are right, but some players are more important than others and they all know this. So here is one player from each club who is more important than the others, who’ll be driving a fancier car and earning more money than all the others by the end of the year and demanding to move to a bigger club unless the owner buys some of the others players on this list.

Click on Tim Cahill to see the Premier League’s MVPs

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Inter Milan kept the pressure on city rivals AC Milan at the top of the table with a comfortable 5-2 victory over Genoa in Serie A on Sunday.Leonardo’s men moved within five points of the league leaders, but were forced to come from behind after Rodrigo Palacio opened the scoring at the San Siro in the 40th minute.The visitors led at the break, but the five-time reigning champions’ response was brutal.Giampaolo Pazzini equalised in the 50th minute, and less than 60 seconds later Samuel Eto’o edged the hosts ahead.Eto’o scored a second six minutes later, before Goran Pandev made it 4-1 in the 71st minute.Substitute Yuto Nagamoto made it five 13 minutes later, before a late consolation goal from Mauro Boselli for Genoa.Napoli’s title chances were deflated after being held to a 0-0 draw by lowly Brescia at the Stadio San Paolo, leaving them nine points from the leaders.Antonio Di Natale’s late penalty helped Udinese overcome bottom club Bari 1-0 at the Stadio Communale Friuli.Bologna and Cagliari traded late goals in their mid-table battle, which ended 2-2 at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.Fiorentina’s Adrian Mutu scored a brace in his side’s 3-0 demolition job of relegation-threatened Catania at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.Ten-man Parma held on for their third consecutive league draw – away to Chievo – with a 0-0 result at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi.Cesena held off a late Sampdoria charge to win 3-2 and benefit their survival prospects, as victory at the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris lifted the club out of the relegation zone.More to follow