Eriksson must choose: With David Beckham joining Steven Gerrard in missing England's World Cup Group Six match against Azerbaijan tomorrow through injury, the search is on for a replacement midfielder.
Both Shaun Wright-Phillips and Owen Hargreaves spent yesterday vying for what is likely to be a single spare place, assuming England continue with the three-man attack which succeeded against Wales on Saturday.
Aragones must go call
Leading British anti-racism campaigners yesterday called on the Spanish FA to sack their national coach Luis Aragones for describing Thierry Henry as "a black shit" during a get-together of the national squad last week.
Speaking at the launch of the Kick Racism Out of Football week of action, Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, said it was remarkable that Aragones was still in his job.
England are scheduled to face Spain in Madrid later this month in a friendly, and Phillips said: "It would be difficult for England to pull out of the game, but I think the England players will have their own way of showing their disapproval.
"Frankly I don't know why he is still there."
Savage faces Poles
Robbie Savage has had a precautionary X-ray on a neck injury but is expected to return to the Wales side for their Group Six qualifier against Poland after a one-match ban kept him out of Saturday's 2-0 defeat to England at Old Trafford.
North have Healy
Also in Group Six, Northern Ireland welcome back striker David Healy from a one-match ban to face Austria in Belfast tomorrow. Back from injury are Paul McVeigh, George McCartney, Steve Jones and Gary Hamilton.
Adams' exit final
Leicester City have failed in their attempts to persuade manager Micky Adams to reconsider his decision to quit and "reluctantly" accepted his resignation, the club announced yesterday.
Adams' resignation was accepted at an emergency meeting of the board of directors yesterday morning. The club have won just four of their first 16 games this season.
Director of football Dave Bassett has been placed in temporary charge of team affairs.
Woodgate row
Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has defended the club after they were criticised by Real Madrid for not treating an injury to defender Jonathan Woodgate correctly.
Woodgate has not played for Real since joining from Newcastle in August and last week he broke down in training with a thigh injury which had kept him out since April.
The 24-year-old England central defender has flown to the US for surgery on the problem which a Real spokesman said had not been dealt with adequately while he was on Newcastle's books.
In brief ...
Juventus's French international striker David Trezeguet will undergo an operation on his shoulder and faces a lengthy lay-off from action.
