THE BEST SOCCER PLAYERS

MADRID, Spain -- David Beckham's return to form has taken a new twist -- a bad twist of his right knee. The Los Angeles Galaxy-bound midfielder will be sidelined for about a month after hurting a knee ligament during a Spanish League game last weekend, an injury that eliminated his chance of being recalled to England's national team for upcoming European Championship qualifiers. The 31-year-old hurt his right knee during Real Madrid's 1-1 tie with Getafe on Sunday when his momentum following a cross took him into an advertising sign behind the goal. He limped off the field, and a scan Monday revealed the injured ligament. "Obviously, we hope it's not a serious injury so he can get back to helping Real Madrid challenge for the title," Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas said. "We do not expect this injury to affect his arrival in Los Angeles or his debut with the Galaxy."' Beckham missed three games in November due to an injured left knee, which he

LONDON (AFP) - Didier Drogba is in the form of his life but the Chelsea striker would be happy not to score another goal if it means his side can win the Champions League. Drogba is on the verge of becoming the first player to score 30 goals for Chelsea in a single season since Kerry Dixon in 1985. The Ivory Coast forward has already bagged 29 goals so far this term and could emulate Dixon's achievement against Porto in the Champions League second round, second leg on Tuesday. But he would gladly swap a place in the record books for the chance to get his hands on a Champions League winners' medal in Athens in May. Drogba said: "I know how big Dixon was for Chelsea. It would be something great for me to reach his record, but there is no interest for me to score if we don't win. "It would mean nothing special if we don't win this competition. "I want my team to win and everybody to be happy. Even if I don't score until the end of the season it is not a

Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko is furious at reports that he has become an unsettling influence at the club. The 30-year-old striker is seen as the cause of a conflict between manager Jose Mourinho and the club's hierarchy. He has been accused of being the dressing-room 'spy' of owner and friend Roman Abramovich but has strongly denied the accusations. "I am being made a scapegoat for things that have nothing to do with me," Shevchenko told The Times. He added: "My contract runs for four years. I am here now and I am staying here. I am continuing to work to fit inside the team. "I have been attacked from all sides but I intend to carry on. I will grit my teeth. I am not a quitter I just want to be kept out of the politics." It is no secret that Abramovich wanted Shevchenko and the Ukraine star moved to Chelsea in a £30m summer deal from AC Milan. But he has struggled to fit into Mourinho's plans and reports suggest that new striking arrivals

Alessandro Del Piero will make his 500th appearance for Juventus when the Serie B leaders host Bari this weekend. The 32-year-old striker, a World Cup winner with Italy last year, is in his 14th season with the Turin club and was one of the few stars to stick by them when they were relegated from Serie A last summer for match-fixing. Former Italy coach Marcello Lippi, who stood down after the Azzurri triumphed in Germany, heaped praise on Del Piero for his contribution to Italian football. "Del Piero is exceptional," Lippi said. "Few players have reached 500 appearances for Juventus, let alone score 203 goals. "When anyone thinks of Juve, they think of Del Piero. He is one of the few real symbols of Italian football; he is a leader and has an immensely tough character, he demonstrated that at the World Cup. "He stayed with Juventus after they were relegated and is a shining example to the rest of the squad." Source: AFP

Italy's World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro has been named Fifa World Player of the Year. The award polls votes from national team coaches and captains and Cannavaro beat three-time winner Zinedine Zidane and reigning champion Ronaldinho. Real Madrid central defender Cannavaro was crowned European Footballer of the Year in November. "It's a great honour for me to be here because it has been an incredible season'" said Cannavaro. He added, "The competition is scary, so strong. It's not usual for a defender to sit between Ronaldinho and Zidane. "Of course it must be a great compliment for the coaches I've had this year. "It also underscores the way I am playing - and look at the matches we are playing in the teams I've had, and at Real. "I can't ask for anything else' with the World Cup and Golden Ball award - you can't do any better than that." Brazil's Marta won the women's award ahead of Germany's

A paper cup was blasted into the pitchside wall. The roof of the dugout reverberated to a slap of the hand. His boots were torn off and thrown at the grass. Imprecations were uttered. Wayne Rooney was in a strop. But it was a rage of frustration, a young man's anger that he had been unable to finish the match and to complete the job he had started. "I asked him about it afterwards and he told me it was because he was disappointed," Sven-Goran Eriksson said, reflecting on his decision to remove the 20-year-old in the 69th minute. "But he played better than last time. He lasted longer, and he will get better and better. I took him off because I can't risk him getting injured." Seldom was a truer word spoken by an England manager. The team's absolute reliance on Rooney's presence was emphasised last night by a first half in which they functioned properly for the first time in the tournament, despite starting the match with a stroke of wretched misfortun

Michael Owen will miss the rest of the World Cup after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The England striker was injured Tuesday in the second minute of his team's 2-2 draw with Sweden in Cologne. Owen had a scan on his knee Wednesday near England's team base in southern Germany and was to return home later in the day. "Obviously it's a massive blow to suffer the injury -- and be out of the World Cup," Owen said in a statement. "As soon as it happened I knew I was in trouble. It was a major disappointment to pick up the injury so early in the game." Owen's right knee buckled after he played a pass. He rolled off the field and lay on the sideline clutching his leg while play continued. He was treated by doctors and then strapped to a stretcher and taken away. The English Football Association said Owen's recovery would be handled by his English Premier League club Newcastle. Freddy Shepherd, the club's chairman, said Owe

High-flying Spaniard Fernando Torres is set to blow his way through Saudi Arabia's leaky defence boosting a World Cup goals tally that could in turn spark English Premiership interest in his talents. The Spain striker, who sits one goal behind Germany's four-goal hero Miroslav Klose in the World Cup scoring table, may be relatively unknown outside the Primera Liga where he plays for Madrid's unfashionable Atletico. However his World Cup performances for Spain - capping some blistering attacking displays with three goals in two games - could change his footballing horizons. Torres has in the past been courted by some of England's biggest clubs and at only 22 years old, the player known as 'El Nino' (The Kid) is still a huge prospect. Torres opened his account with a goal against Ukraine, and was on hand with two crucial goals to help Spain qualify for the second round in Stuttgart on Monday with a convincing 3-1 win over Tunisia. While regularly criticised for m

Michael Essien is on the verge of leading World Cup stunner Ghana into the second round, the Chelsea midfielder having already convinced a worried US squad that he could destroy their Cup dreams. A victory over the Americans here Thursday in a Group E showdown would send the World Cup debutantes into the round of 16, possibly against reigning champion Brazil. "It would be hard, but we are prepared for it," Essien said. "We're not afraid to meet the Brazilians. We are ready to play anyone. First we have to deal with the USA. They play good football and they will be tough." The 23-year-old star sparked Ghana past second-ranked Czech Republic 2-0 in the biggest Cup shocker so far, a landmark triumph for the Cup debutantes. "It really shows what we are made of," Essien said. "The win was very important for Ghana and for African football." A draw with the USA might be enough to send the Black Stars through, but with their destiny in their hands,

Spanish football icon Raul shook off a dose of the substitutes' blues to help relaunch Spain's World Cup campaign in a pulsating 3-1 win over Tunisia in Group H on Monday. Raul came off the bench at the start of the second half to equalise Jawer Mnari's shock eighth-minute opener for Roger Lemerre's former African champions to settle the nerves of Luis Aragones and his players. Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres then struck the first of two goals after beating the Tunisian defence to a through ball from second half substitute Cesc Fabregas. Torres, who also scored in Spain's 4-0 thrashing of Ukraine, finished Spain's top scorer on the night after he beat Tunisia keeper Ali Boumnijel from the penalty spot to take his World Cup tally to three goals. However it was Raul's revival, after what has been an uncertain start to his third World Cup, that stole the show as Spain booked their second round ticket with a match to spare. Torres admitted it was Raul'