BVB still a heavyweight - Bayern

Borussia Dortmund, languishing in 15th place in the Bundesliga, received an unexpected pep talk from league rivals Bayern Munich, despite icy relations between the two clubs who face each other in the league on Saturday.

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, whose team have snapped up Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski from Dortmund in two years and have also set their sights on Marco Reus, has been locked in a war of words with Dortmund officials for months.

Rummenigge infuriated Dortmund when he publicly revealed the amount of Reus' buyout clause at Dortmund a few months ago.

Earlier this week Rummenigge had made his latest advance for Reus, saying Bayern "could potentially be interested" in signing the talented Germany international.

The strained ties have also led to the traditional pre-game lunch between both clubs' bosses to be scrapped.

On Friday, however, Rummenigge heaped praise on Dortmund, saying the Ruhr valley club was still a heavy hitter in the Bundesliga despite their dip in form.

"Even with Borussia Dortmund facing some problems in the league, the league table does alter the importance of this game," he told the club's magazine.

"I am certain that Dortmund will easily qualify for the Champions League this season and that is a good thing," said Rummenigge, a former Germany captain and Bayern striker.

Last season's runners-up Dortmund, who won the Bundesliga in 2011 and the domestic double in 2012 before reaching the Champions League final in 2013, have lost six of their nine league this season and are 14 points behind leaders Bayern.

They are, however, top of their Champions League group with three wins form three games.

"German football needs stable teams and even though club bosses at both clubs have had better relations in the past, I am saying this with full conviction: I have great respect for Borussia Dortmund."

"I see Bayern and Dortmund as the engines of the Bundesliga," he said.

Reus plays down Bayern transfer talk

Borussia Dortmund forward Marco Reus on Friday sought to play down mounting speculation that he was set to move to Bayern Munich, saying other people were thinking more about his future than he was.

Germany international Reus, whose contract runs to 2017, has been targeted by Bayern, according to media reports, with a spell of impressive form marking him out as one of the most promising attacking players in the game.

"At the moment there are a lot of people talking about my future," Reus said in a statement. "There is a lot of speculation and a lot is being written.

"So I would like to take this opportunity to say that other people are thinking more about my future than me."

Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said this week, in the latest of a series of advances, that the club could "potentially be interested" in a player of Reus's quality.

Rummenigge angered Dortmund officials a few months ago by publicly revealing the player had a 25-million euro ($31.37 million) buyout clause in his contract.

"The only thing that is certain is that we are on our way to Munich to get the points for Dortmund," said Reus, ahead of their clash with leaders Bayern on Saturday.

"Then we will hopefully return with the three points," he said, adding that their upcoming games in the Champions League and the Bundesliga were all that mattered to him at the moment.

Dortmund are 15th in the table after a bad start to the season, with six losses in nine games. They top their Champions League group, however, with maximum points from three games.

Robben doubtful for Bayern-BVB clash

Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben is not certain of returning to the side from injury for the Bundesliga meeting with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Coach Pep Guardiola said Friday the Dutch international was "a bit better" but still not 100 per cent fit after being sidelined with a pinched nerve in his thigh.

"We will analyse his situation today," Guardiola said on Friday.

Robben missed last week's goalless draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach and the midweek 3-1 win at SV Hamburg in the German Cup.

Champions and league leaders Bayern face a Dortmund side which has lost its last four league games, but Guardiola warned that Dortmund were "a great, great opponent."

Listing several Dortmund players, the Spanish coach said: "Tomorrow we will see the best performance from these players on the pitch."

Bayern, who have gone 13 matches in the Bundesliga without defeat, have lost three and drawn one of their home league meetings with Dortmund in the last four seasons, Guardiola pointed out.

Guardiola has personally experienced three defeats against Dortmund in his time as Bayern coach - in the 2013 and 2014 Supercups and in their last league meeting - a 3-0 defeat - towards the end of last season when Bayern had already clinched the title.

According to the Bayern homepage, the match will be broadcast in 208 of the 209 Fifa member nations. Only North Korea is not showing the match, it said.

Pep wary of BVB despite points gulf

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola insists Saturday's Bundesliga opponents Borussia Dortmund remain the Bavarians' main title rivals despite the 14-point gulf between the teams in the table.

Dortmund are 15th after four consecutive league defeats and a fifth at the hands of leaders Bayern at Munich's Allianz Arena would confirm the worst start to a league season in Borussia's history.

Bayern are already four points clear at the top of the table after nine matches and on course to win the German league title for a third consecutive season.

But Guardiola says Dortmund remain the team for Bayern to beat after Jurgen Klopp's side finished second to the Bavarians in the past two seasons and enjoyed a 3-0 win in Munich in April when the teams last met in the league.

"At the moment, Borussia Dortmund are still our main rivals, the gap in the table doesn't mean anything in October," said Guardiola on Friday.

"I don't look at the situation in the table. My opinion is that they are a superior team, regardless of their current situation.

"We will be playing against Dortmund's best team."

Guardiola refused to be drawn into the war of words between Dortmund's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who has expressed an interest in signing Borussia's Germany winger Marco Reus.

"I know the game is very important for our fans and the club, and that is also the case in Dortmund, but I am the coach and the background noise means nothing to me," insisted Guardiola.

"It's all about football and that is the reason I am here. I don't give a second's thought about anything else."

Guardiola said his side will not change their tactics of playing deep in the opponents' half, with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer often well out of his area, a style which could suit Dortmund's counter-attacking game.

"Our style of play is great for them, we play 40 metres in front of Manuel Neuer," said Guardiola.

"No, I'm sorry. I always like my team to play forwards – ever since my first match with Barcelona B."

The Bayern boss also said Netherlands winger Arjen Robben faces a race against time to be fit after missing their last two matches with a leg injury.

"He's a bit better in the last two days, but he's still not 100 percent.

Bale ruled out of Real's tie at Granada

Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale has not recovered from a buttock muscle injury and will miss Saturday's La Liga game at Granada, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday.

Ancelotti did not say whether he expects Bale, who last played in the 5-0 La Liga win over Athletic Bilbao on October 5, to be fit for Tuesday's Champions League Group B match at home to Liverpool.

Centre back Pepe and midfielder Luka Modric also had "problems", Ancelotti said, adding that he would wait until after training later on Friday to decide Saturday's starting line-up.

Real trimmed the gap to joint leaders Barcelona to one point when they beat their arch rivals 3-1 at the Bernabeu in last week's 'Clasico'.

Barca, who host Celta Vigo on Saturday, and Sevilla, who play at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, each have 22 points from nine matches, with Real on 21.

"We are happy with what we are doing but all the matches are tests," Ancelotti said.

"Past games are in the past," added the Italian. "In Granada we want to keep our run going but you never know how things will turn out.

Atletico 'heart' back for Cordoba clash

Atletico Madrid captain Gabi will be back in the team for Saturday's La Liga game at home to Cordoba after injury, coach Diego Simeone said on Friday.

The influential midfielder, who typically plays in a central holding role for the Spanish champions, has missed Atletico's last two matches, a 5-0 Champions League success at home to Malmo and last weekend's 1-0 win at Getafe.

"Gabi is our heart," Simeone told a news conference previewing the match at the Calderon.

"There are players that mark out the rhythm of the team. When he is at his best, he helps the team play with the intensity he himself transmits."

Atletico, who play at Malmo in the Champions League Group A on Tuesday, are fifth in La Liga after nine matches, level on 20 points with fourth-placed Valencia.

Barcelona and Sevilla lead on 22 points, with Real Madrid third on 21.

Simeone said Atletico still had room for improvement and a host of new players, including Croatia forward Mario Mandzukic, France forward Antoine Griezmann and Italy winger Alessio Cerci, were taking time to settle.

After they won La Liga for the first time in 18 years and reached the final of Europe's elite club competition, Atletico sold top scorer Diego Costa and fullback Filipe Luis to Chelsea, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois returned to the London club after a loan spell.

"We are not at the level we can be," Simeone said.

"There is a lot to improve and I think that is normal. New players have come in and the adaptation process takes a while.

Zidane given coaching reprieve

Zinedine Zidane will be able to continue coaching Real Madrid's B team until his appeal against a three-month ban for not having the correct licence is resolved, a court ruled on Friday.

The former Real and France midfielder was sanctioned by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) for allegedly acting as head coach of third-tier Real Madrid Castilla even while Santiago Sanchez, who was also banned for three months, nominally held the post.

Real expressed their "absolute disagreement with the decision", arguing Zidane had been awarded the necessary licence by the French football federation (FFF), and said they would "pursue every available legal avenue" to get it overturned.

Spain's Administrative Court for Sport (TAD) on Friday granted a "precautionary suspension" of the ban, Real said on their website (www.realmadrid.com).

Sanchez and Zidane would be able "to carry out their professional activities until Real Madrid's appeal...is resolved," they added.

Castilla were relegated from the second division last season, before Zidane joined the coaching staff. They are currently 14th in Group 2 of the regional four-group "Segunda B", or third tier.

Suarez set for Barca home debut

Luis Suarez will make his competitive home debut as La Liga leaders Barcelona look to put the disappointment of their defeat to Real Madrid last weekend behind them against Celta Vigo on Saturday.

The Catalans' defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu was their first in the league since coach Luis Enrique left Celta in May to take charge at the Camp Nou and brought Barca back into a five-strong pack at the top of the table separated by just two points.

Suarez returned from a four-month ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup to make his Barca bow against Madrid and had a positive immediate impact as he set up Neymar's early opener.

The Uruguayan also produced a sublime assist for Gerard Pique as Barca lifted the Catalan Supercup with victory on penalties over Espanyol in midweek and Luis Enrique has been impressed with Suarez's contribution so far.

"He played very well, he made the right decisions most of the time and was always involved our play," said Luis Enrique.

"His movement was good and he was desperate to play, as were the rest of the squad."

Lionel Messi and Neymar were given a rare night off on Wednesday, but will return to form their deadly partnership with 20 goals and 12 assists between them in 12 games so far this season.

Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic are also expected to return after being surprisingly dropped against Madrid, while Andres Iniesta is sidelined with a calf injury.

Real Madrid have the chance to knock Barca off the top for at least a few hours when they look for an 11th consecutive win in all competitions at Granada earlier on Saturday.

And captain Iker Casillas wants the European champions to have that position locked down by the time La Liga shuts down for Christmas in seven weeks' time.

"We need to try and get first place in La Liga before Christmas, after beating Barcelona we have taken a huge step forward."

Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos will all return having been rested for Wednesday's 4-1 win over UD Cornella in the Copa del Rey.

However, Gareth Bale remains a major doubt with the muscle injury that has forced him to miss the last four games.

Champions Atletico Madrid can also temporarily leapfrog Barcelona when they host struggling Cordoba at the Vicente Calderon.

A run of four wins in five games has brought Diego Simeone's side back to within two points of the top and they will be extra motivated this weekend after players and fans alike reacted with fury at the lack of recognition they received at the La Liga awards ceremony for last season earlier in the week.

"Atletico Madrid were the best in La Liga last season. The La Liga awards don't diminish that. Last season we were the best," said Simeone, who won Atletico's only individual award as coach of the season.

"Maybe if we win the league again we will win some award next year."

Joint leaders Sevilla face a stern examination of their title credentials on Sunday when they travel to Athletic Bilbao.

The Basques have improved in recent weeks after a horrible start to the campaign left them lying in the relegation zone, but Sevilla are full of confidence having won seven of their last eight in La Liga.

On-loan Liverpool striker Iago Aspas also made his case for a place in Unai Emery's starting line-up as he fired a hat-trick in Sevilla's 6-1 Copa del Rey victory over Sabadell in midweek.

Meanwhile, fourth-placed Valencia have the toughest task of all the top five on paper when they make the short trip to take on Villarreal later on Sunday.

Fixtures

Friday (all times GMT)

Deportivo la Coruna v Getafe (1945)

Saturday

Granada v Real Madrid (1500), Atletico Madrid v Cordoba (1700), Barcelona v Celta Vigo (1900), Real Sociedad v Malaga (2100)

Sunday

Athletic Bilbao v Sevilla (1100), Villarreal v Valencia (1600), Levante v Almeria (1800), Elche v Espanyol (2000)

Monday

Rayo Vallecano v Eibar (1945)

Silva ruled out for up to a month

Manchester City midfielder David Silva will miss Sunday's derby against Manchester United and could be out of action for up to a month with a knee injury, manager Manuel Pellegrini said on Friday.

Silva was injured during the early stages of holders City's 2-0 League Cup defeat at home to Newcastle United on Wednesday after a clash with the Magpies' Ryan Taylor.

"Manuel Pellegrini confirms that @21LVA will miss Sunday's game. Will be out for 3-4 weeks," City said on Twitter on Friday.

Silva is now also out of City's potentially decisive Champions League group match against CSKA Moscow and the Premier League fixture away to Queens Park Rangers.

He is also doubtful for Spain's upcoming Euro 2016 qualifier against Belarus and a friendly with Germany.

"David has a problem in his ligament," City manager Pellegrini added at a news conference on Friday.

"Maybe he will be out around three weeks so he will not be available for the derby.

"He is a very important player but I think we have a squad and we have to replace him with another player."

Midfield star Yaya Toure came off as a precaution during the Newcastle defeat due to a groin problem but Pellegrini was optimistic the Ivory Coast international would feature in the derby.

"Yaya has a small problem. We will see him on Saturday but I think he will not have any problems," the Chilean boss said.

Meanwhile Samir Nasri appears to have made a successful return to action in midweek after seven games out following groin surgery.

Premier League champions City have gone three games without a win in all competitions and could be nine points behind leaders Chelsea by the time they kick-off against United at Eastlands on Sunday if Jose Mourinho's table-toppers beat struggling QPR on Saturday.

Costa back for Chelsea

Jose Mourinho said on Friday that star striker Diego Costa would return for Premier League leaders Chelsea's all-London clash at home to strugglers Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

"It is good for us," Mourinho told a news conference at Chelsea's training ground in Cobham, south-west of London. "It's difficult when you only have one striker available, but when you have two the situation improves," the Blues' manager added.

But Mourinho said he feared the striker could again suffer injury problems if, as expected, he is called up by Spain for the forthcoming round of international fixtures.

Costa has missed Chelsea's last four matches after returning from international duty with hamstring and groin problems after appearing in all but eight minutes of Spain's back to back fixtures with Slovakia and Luxemburg.

Mourinho made it clear he blamed the way Costa had been handled by his national team for his injuries, insisting the player must be managed carefully while he recovers from a long standing hamstring problem.

With Spain facing another double-header in the middle of November – they play Belarus in a Euro 2016 qualifier on November 15 before taking on world champions Germany in a friendly two days later – there is a possibility of the club versus country row being reignited.

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque maintains he will remain "stubborn" in his approach to selecting Costa.

And while Mourinho was adamant he will not attempt to resist the player's call-up, he is concerned the demands placed on Costa may affect his fitness when he returns to Stamford Bridge.

"The only thing I can say is what everybody knows. He was having problems in Chelsea and we managed to keep him playing," the Portuguese boss explained.

"But after the national team we lost him for four matches. Crystal Palace, Maribor, Shrewsbury and Manchester United. Four matches in three different competitions.

"Now he's again available, but he needs obviously to be again under special care. We are going to provide that. It's the only thing we can do, nothing else."

And addressing Costa's likely international call-up, Mourinho added: "I am always supportive of players playing for their countries when the players are in condition to do it, and when the players in the national team follow the same procedures to recover from the problems they have.

"I'm nobody to stand in the way of the national team. I cannot stop him going."

With Costa back in the side, Didier Drogba is likely to return to the bench after scoring three goals in his last three games.

The veteran Ivorian forward has led Chelsea's attack in the absence of Costa and Loic Remy, who is expected to be out for a further two weeks with a groin problem.

Mourinho said the 36-year-old Chelsea great had already justified the decision to return to the club two years after he left for Shanghai before returning to west London ahead of the start of this season from Turkish club Galatasaray.

"We made the decision all together: (Chelsea) owner (Roman Abramovich), board, me, him, all of us together," Mourinho explained.

"I think for such a legend in this club, it's a difficult decision to take, and we took it together, us believing in him, him believing in himself and thinking that he still has conditions to be important. Which he was always in this club.

"To be important you don't need, at the age of 36, to play 90 minutes of 50 matches. To be important you need to be there when the team needs you to be there.

"And, obviously, he was fantastic for us in the last week when we were in real trouble without Diego and Remy, doing something that nobody should do: to play two 90 minutes of football with 48 hours difference. He managed to do that in an absolutely fantastic way."

The manager admitted he now faces a selection dilemma, saying: "A fantastic problem for me. The perfect problem is when Remy is back. That's the perfect problem: to have all three.

Villa will end goal drought - Lambert

Aston Villa will soon end an embarrassing goal drought that has now lasted for five games, all defeats, their manager Paul Lambert said on Friday.

When Gabriel Agbonlahor scored what turned out to be the winning goal after nine minutes at Liverpool on September 13, Villa could not have imagined they would reach November without another goal.

That run has now lasted almost nine hours and with a total of four from nine games, Lambert's team are the lowest scorers in the Premier League, slipping from second place to the bottom six.

"Not scoring goals has hurt us, but it will come," he told a news conference ahead of Sunday's visit from Tottenham Hotspur.

"You have to pull together and you'll definitely come through it. There's a huge expectancy level here.

"We played the top five (teams) from last season in succession and mentally playing against them is really hard."

If goals do not come, Lambert admits his position could be called into question, despite having signed a new four-year contract only last month.

"I never think anybody's bomb-proof," he said. "I know football is about trying to get results.

Pellegrini won't change ahead of derby

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini insists he will not change the way his team play despite suffering two defeats in a week and losing playmaker David Silva ahead of Manchester United's visit on Sunday.

The Premier League champions have endured an indifferent start to the season and Pellegrini has come under increasing pressure after expressing concern over his side's form earlier this week.

A 2-1 loss at in-form West Ham United on Saturday left them third in the table on 17 points, six adrift from leaders Chelsea, before the defence of their League Cup title ended prematurely with a surprise 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United on Wednesday.

The beleaguered Chilean remained defiant, however, in the face of United's trip to the Etihad Stadium, insisting that his out-of-sorts team do not need to change much even if they will be without Silva, who will be missing for up to a month after injuring his knee.

"David is a very important player but I always say the same thing. We have a squad and we have to replace him with another player," Pellegrini told a news conference.

"I think that we can play faster than we are doing. But still, I remember the games against the Newcastle and West Ham, the best player was their goalkeeper.

"If I think back to a year ago, I was answering the same questions. When we didn't win away for the first six games – it was the same questions I just answered now.

"I will continue to play the same way."

Pellegrini got his first taste of a Manchester derby at the Etihad last season and an excellent performance from his side ended in a resounding 4-1 victory.

The City boss indicated that a similar performance in the fixture on Sunday could galvanise his team, as it did last year.

"The game we played here, the first one at the Etihad (last year) was in a moment where I was new here, where maybe there were a lot of doubts about the result but I never changed my mind in the way we have to play against any other team," he said.

"I remember the exact moment when I told the players to work in exactly the same way. That was an important moment and we really played very well.

"It was three points, like every other game. For supporters it's a special game and we know that. We know what it means to win against Manchester United.

"It doesn't depend on what we do in the games before the derby, it's important for us to play well against Manchester United.

"We are a team and we need top players with top performances all the time."

Silva will be absent, but City expect to have midfield powerhouse Yaya Toure fit for Sunday.

Falcao out of derby, Rooney fit

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has been passed fit for the Manchester derby on Sunday, manager Louis van Gaal said on Friday.

However, Radamel Falcao has been ruled out of the clash with reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.

Van Gaal dismissed reports England striker Rooney was suffering from a foot injury and said his skipper would be fit to start at Eastlands after serving a three-game suspension.

But Falcao, who missed the last two games following a kick in training, is still injured and the Colombian will, therefore, miss the match at City's home ground.

Some reports suggested Rooney was doubtful after he was apparently seen hobbling at a sponsor's event at Old Trafford on Monday.

"Rooney was not injured. The media was writing that but he was never injured," Van Gaal told a news conference on Friday.

"Maybe his shoes were too tight, that is possible. But he was never injured and he shall play. He is my captain."

However, turning to Falcao, van Gaal added: "Falcao is still injured."

United make the trip across Manchester looking to close the current four-point gap between themselves and City.

Spurs host Newcastle in Cup quarters

Tottenham Hotspur host Newcastle United, who beat holders Manchester City in the pick of the League Cup quarterfinals.

Premier League leaders Chelsea, who overcame a plucky Shrewsbury Town, travel to Steve McClaren's Derby County.

Liverpool, who beat Swansea City 2-1 in the fourth round courtesy of a Mario Balotelli goal, visit Bournemouth.

In-form Southampton, who let slip a 2-0 lead before beating Stoke City, face Sheffield United – the competition's lowest remaining team.

QUARTERFINAL FIXTURES

Derby County (II) v Chelsea 
Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United
Bournemouth (II) v Liverpool
Sheffield United (III) v Southampton

City knocked out of League Cup

Manchester City suffered a shock League Cup defeat at the hands of a reinvigorated Newcastle United, who reached the quarterfinals with a superb 2-0 away win on Wednesday that left the holders nursing the wounds of a bruising past eight days.

Newcastle's 18-year-old winger Rolando Aarons struck in the sixth minute to hand the visitors an unlikely lead before Moussa Sissoko ended any hopes of a City fightback with a brilliant goal to gift underfire manager Alan Pardew a third win in 11 days.

"We are buzzing in the dressing room. It has given the club a massive lift. It's been a great week," Aarons told Sky Sports.

The result completed a miserable week for City, who are now without a win in three games, after they lost to West Ham United on Saturday and threw away a two-goal lead to draw with CSKA Moscow in the Champions League last Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Graziano Pelle scored twice as in-form Southampton let slip a 2-0 lead before advancing to the last eight with a thrilling 3-2 victory against Stoke City.

Tottenham Hotspur eased through to the quarterfinals with a routine 2-0 win against Championship (second tier) Brighton & Hove Albion.

Newcastle, buoyed by successive Premier League wins started with plenty of intent and their harassing and tenacity in midfield gifted them an early goal.

City's Fernandinho was caught in possession and the ball was seized upon by Aarons who surged into the box and finished superbly through the legs of goalkeeper Willy Caballero.

That set-back sparked the hosts into life, but the closest they came in the opening period was when Newcastle's Fabricio Coloccini miscued a relatively routine cross onto his own post.

For all City's pressure, they could have found themselves 2-0 down at halftime but Martin Demichelis's timely challenge denied Adam Armstrong.

City continued to press after the break but could have conceded a penalty when Aleksandar Kolarov felled Gabriel Obertan, who earlier had a goal ruled out for offside, as the Frenchman burst into the box.

In the 75th minute Sissoko powered his way through City's static defence and clipped a brilliant finish past Caballero with the outside of his right foot to give the visitors an unassailable lead.

City had late chances, but the visitors remained resolute.

GOALSCORING REVELATION

Southampton's top scorer Pelle has been a revelation since his close-season move from Dutch side Feyenoord and the imposing Italian forward gave the visitors the lead with a superb goal.

The 29-year-old was afforded too much space by the Stoke defence and was able to curl in a sublime strike.

On the half hour Southampton doubled their lead with Shane Long sweeping home his first goal for the club at the end of another flowing attack.

Stoke pulled a goal back through Steven N'Zonzi's low strike early in the second half and restored parity through Mame Biram Diouf in the 82nd minute.

As extra time beckoned Pelle bundled home his ninth Southampton goal of the season in the 88th minute just moments after Stoke had been reduced to 10 men after Peter Crouch's red card.

At White Hart Lane, Tottenham dominated possession but failed to take the lead until the 54th minute when Erik Lamela danced into the area before dispatching a neat finish.

Harry Kane converted Roberto Soldado's parried shot for a deserved second.

Swansea appeal against Fernandez red card

Swansea City announced on Wednesday that they have appealed against defender Federico Fernandez's dismissal during their 2-1 loss at Liverpool in the League Cup on Tuesday.

The Argentina international centre-back was shown a straight red card by referee Keith Stroud after an injury-time challenge on Philippe Coutinho and now faces a three-match suspension.

"Swansea City can confirm that the club will be appealing the red card issued to defender Federico Fernandez against Liverpool last night (Tuesday)," Swansea said in a statement on their website.

The Football Association will make a decision on the appeal ahead of the Swans' Premier League trip to Everton on Saturday.

Swansea manager Garry Monk was critical of Stroud's decision to dismiss Fernandez, describing the incident as "clearly not a red card".

He added: "I have seen it back a number of times. If anything, the Liverpool player's foot is higher than ours. How he saw that as a red card... But Keith is a good referee. Hopefully he will see sense and rescind it for us."

Liverpool's assistant manager Colin Pascoe also felt the red card was unduly harsh.

"I can see why they are not happy," said the former Swansea coach. "I didn't think it was a sending-off."

Dejan Lovren's winning header for Liverpool arrived shortly after Fernandez had been sent off, with Mario Balotelli having earlier cancelled out Marvin Emnes's opening goal for Swansea.

Swansea also announced that the FA have elected not to take further action against Monk after he criticised referee Michael Oliver following his side's 2-1 loss at Stoke City earlier this month.

Monk called Stoke winger Victor Moses "a cheat" after he earned a controversial penalty from which the home side equalised and branded Oliver's decision to award the spot-kick "disgusting".

The Swansea manager was subsequently asked to explain his comments by the FA, but has escaped punishment.

"Swansea City can confirm that the Football Association will not be taking any further action regarding media comments made by manager Garry Monk following the recent Barclay Premier League fixture at Stoke City," said a statement on the Swansea website.

"The FA, who asked Monk for his observations following the fixture, has reminded the Swansea manager about his responsibilities regarding media comments.

Drogba is the Special One - Mou

Some Chelsea fans thought manager Jose Mourinho had taken leave of his senses when he decided to bring the ageing Didier Drogba back to the club in the close season.

There was a feeling that the 36-year-old Ivorian was well past his best and that returning to Stamford Bridge might tarnish the legacy he left after a dazzling first spell with the Londoners.

Drogba has, however, well and truly silenced the doubters in the last week, scoring three goals in three games and proving a more than capable understudy for the injured Diego Costa and Loic Remy.

"His character is bigger than his body," Mourinho told reporters after the centre forward grabbed the opening goal in Tuesday's 2-1 League Cup fourth-round victory at Shrewsbury Town.

"What he did today maybe was because of his character and not because of his body. Let's see the reaction after this but this is what makes players special.

"If I was a kid player and I played with this guy on my side, what more could I wish for? For the kids it must be a privilege and they have to learn by example – the example the older guys gave today."

Drogba left Chelsea two and a half years ago after helping them win the Champions League for the first time.

He joined the Blues from Olympique Marseille in 2004 and scored 157 goals in 342 appearances in his first spell, hoovering up three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups.

Drogba was on target from the penalty spot in the 6-0 romp against Slovenians Maribor in the Champions League last week and also struck with a trademark header in the 1-1 draw at Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.

SENIOR SERVICE

Premier League leaders Chelsea rested several first-choice players at fourth tier Shrewsbury and Mourinho said it was the senior professionals who carried his team through to the quarterfinals.

"The message I want is the message Didier, Filipe Luis, Oscar and Gary Cahill gave, doing something they shouldn't be allowed to do but they did, which is play two football matches in 48 hours," said the manager.

"They were fantastic. I had people like Petr Cech and John Obi Mikel, people with lots of years at the club, who would prefer to start the game at Old Trafford. They didn't and they came here today and gave a fantastic example.

"After that there are the young boys and they have to follow the spirit and the professionalism of the others," added Mourinho.

The Portuguese seemed to indicate he was less than satisfied with the performance of his younger players at Shrewsbury.

"I expect people that have not been playing a lot to raise their level and create problems," said Mourinho. "I love problems of choice but it's easy to choose my team for Saturday."

Next up for Chelsea, who have a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League, is a home derby against second from bottom Queens Park Rangers at the weekend.

Balotelli goal may 'finally' open gates

After going six weeks without a goal Mario Balotelli was mightily relieved to "finally" regain his scoring touch against Swansea City and save Liverpool from a League Cup fourth-round exit.

The Italy striker, who had previously netted once in 11 appearances for the Anfield club, came off the bench to equalise with four minutes remaining at Anfield on Tuesday night.

The goal helped Liverpool turn the tide and Dejan Lovren grabbed a stoppage-time winner to secure a 2-1 victory and a place in the quarterfinals.

Balotelli is now hoping his strike against Swansea will prompt a change of fortune, having cut an increasingly frustrated figure during a series of brooding performances since his 16 million pounds ($25.79 million) move from AC Milan in the close season.

"Finally!," the 24-year-old tweeted after Tuesday's game, relieved at finding the net for the first time since scoring his opening Liverpool goal in a home win against Bulgarians Ludogorets in the Champions League in September.

Assistant manager Colin Pascoe said Balotelli's Anfield intervention almost didn't happen because he tweaked his knee while warming up on the sidelines.

"He twisted his studs in the ground and was sent to see the physio to see if he was all right or not," Pascoe told reporters. "He felt something in his knee but he came on and his knee looked all right.

"I didn't know until the end of the game but, with the way he was moving about, I don't think there was much wrong with his knee.

"Mario is working hard and he got his just rewards by coming on and getting the goal – it was great for him and something to build on."

GAPING GOAL

Balotelli's Anfield future has been called into question in recent weeks and he was dropped from the starting XI on Tuesday after Liverpool were held at the weekend to a 0-0 home draw in the Premier League by Hull City.

In the dying moments of that match he failed to connect with a cross with the goal gaping and manager Brendan Rodgers subsequently decided to leave him out against Swansea.

Liverpool defender Kolo Toure, though, is expecting the League Cup goal to open the floodgates for his teammate.

"For strikers goals are like food," Toure told the Liverpool Echo newspaper. "Mario needs to feed himself by scoring goals. Now he's got that one he will do that now, definitely.

"Getting that goal will be fantastic for his confidence. He is a great player, he has just been lacking goals. Mario is my mate and I've tried to help him like (captain) Stevie (Gerrard), the manager and everyone else in the dressing room.

"We all know he's a top player. I always tell him 'you need to get out there and show you are one of the best players in the world'. He is one of the best. He has just been missing goals but they will come now," said Toure.

'Rio faces fight to get back into QPR side'

Queens Park Rangers defender Rio Ferdinand, banned for three games after being found guilty of misconduct by the English FA for an "abusive" Twitter comment, faces a battle to get back into the first team, according to manager Harry Redknapp.

Ferdinand, 35, who has made an indifferent start at QPR following his move from Manchester United, was also fined £25 000 and ordered to attend an education programme as part of the punishment handed down following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing.

Redknapp, speaking to reporters on Thursday before QPR face Premier League leaders Chelsea on Saturday, said he had not seen the FA's report and could not comment on it, or whether the club would appeal the ruling.

Ferdinand missed QPR's match against Liverpool on October 19 - a game in which they played far better than they had been with him in the team, despite losing 3-2.

They also played well without him to beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Loftus Road on Monday when they moved off the bottom of the table and Redknapp praised the performances of centre backs Richard Dunne and Steven Caulker.

"The lads who played at the back played very well, they were outstanding and I thought Richard Dunne was man of the match the other night," he said.

"Rio understands that. The team played well against Liverpool and now he just has to wait for his chance to get back in and he has to keep working hard until the opportunity comes."

SOCIAL MEDIA

Ferdinand hinted on the Jonathan Ross TV show last week that he was considering retiring at the end of the season, but Redknapp says that despite the current situation, Ferdinand was still part of his plans.

"I want Rio available for every game, that's for sure," Redknapp said, "and he will get back into the team".

"We haven't got that many defenders, Clint Hill is coming back which is good, Nedum Onuoha is out with a hamstring, that was a blow to us, we are not overloaded there."

Redknapp said he knew nothing about social media and did not know what Twitter was and said he had no idea of exactly what it was that Ferdinand had done wrong.

But the FA found the former England skipper guilty of tweeting a remark, which was deemed "abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper", to a member of the public in September.

The tweet, which was broadcast to Ferdinand's 5.9 million followers, used the word 'sket', which is a derogatory term defined as "a promiscuous girl or woman".

The defender had been tagged in a message that read: "Maybe QPR will sign a good CB (centre back) they need one."

In response, he tweeted: "get ya mum in, plays the field well son! #sket."

Ferdinand, who played 81 games for England, was previously found guilty of improper conduct and fined £45 000 in 2012 for comments he made on Twitter about Ashley Cole.

Redknapp was more upbeat about his midfielder Adel Taarabt, who he accused of being overweight recently.

He said the two had resolved their differences and the Morocco international could feature in Saturday's squad at Stamford Bridge.

Hammers sweat on Sakho, Carroll back

West Ham United's in-form striker Diafra Sakho is "touch and go" to face Stoke City at the weekend, but the flying Hammers will be boosted by Andy Carroll's return to training, manager Sam Allardyce said on Thursday.

Senegal striker Sakho, who has scored six goals in his last six Premier League starts, injured a shoulder during West Ham's surprise 2-1 victory over Manchester City last weekend.

"It's touch and go, we'll make a decision on Friday to see how his (Sakho's) shoulder is," Allardyce told a news conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League trip to Stoke.

"There's no dislocation or fracture but he's still in a bit of pain. We'll assess it tomorrow, maybe on Saturday morning if needs be."

Carroll, signed on a permanent deal from Liverpool for £15 million last year, is yet to feature this term after picking up an ankle injury during the close season.

He has returned to training, but Allardyce does not want to rush the burly England striker back into action, despite Sakho's injury.

"As a manager you want as many players to be fit as possible and Andy can make a very important contribution," Allardyce said. "Competition for places is always a good thing because it drives standards up.

"This is his pre-season now really because he missed out. We'll take it game by game and see how he feels. Hopefully by game three or four of his recovery he'll be able to play a full 90 minutes."

Fourth-placed West Ham, who have 16 points from nine matches, have surpassed expectations this season but Allardyce wants his side to remain grounded when they travel to Mark Hughes's 12th-placed Stoke.

"I've sensed the joy and the goodwill feeling around the camp," he said. "There's a buzz around training which is always good to see.

"But the players now need to maintain and build on their performances. We need to make sure we are mentally prepared for the game against Stoke City.

"It's very easy to lose after a big result like the one against Manchester City so I need to make sure the players are guarded against that.

Rooney set for Manchester derby return

Manchester United are likely to welcome back captain Wayne Rooney from suspension for their visit to Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday, hoping the striker can add to his record scoring tally in the derby.

Rooney, who missed three matches because of a red card last month and hopes to recover from a minor foot injury picked up in training, tops the all-time goalscoring list for Manchester derbies having netted 11 in 22 games for United.

The return of the England striker will add a further spring to manager Louis van Gaal's step, after United snatched a 1-1 home draw with league leaders Chelsea last week thanks to Robin van Persie's stoppage-time goal.

"It's a massive boost for us to have him back," United defender Luke Shaw told British media this week. "It's something I think he's looking forward to. Wayne hates sitting on the sidelines watching."

The 20-times English champions, after a dreadful campaign last term under David Moyes, have endured a torrid time away from home so far this season and are six games without a win on the road in the league, their worst run for 18 years.

Van Gaal and some of his new-look team will be experiencing a Manchester derby for the first time but Shaw, a close-season signing from Southampton, is sure the recent arrivals understand the fierce rivalry.

"It's pretty obvious what this match means to the fans and the club," the 19-year-old said. "I don't think I need to be told about it and the others (new signings) will be aware too.

"It's a massive occasion for everyone involved in it. We need to come out firing on Sunday."

BETTER POSITION

United's indifferent away form has been costly, with the team eighth in the table on 13 points, 10 adrift of Jose Mourinho's Chelsea at the summit.

City have suffered their own stuttering start to their title defence and a 2-1 defeat at in-form West Ham United last weekend left them third on 17 points.

Boss Manuel Pellegrini is not concerned by the champions' form and pointed out they are in a better position than they were this time last season.

He was also unmoved by Rooney's United return.

"I think Rooney is a very important player for Manchester United but I think that big teams never depend on one player," he said.

Following their draw at Old Trafford, Chelsea will be looking to steal a march on their Manchester rivals when they host their own local adversaries Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

In scintillating form since the start of the season, Mourinho's men have dropped only four points in their opening nine games, conceding late goals to draw at both City and United, and have a four-point lead at the top of the table.

They are likely to have Diego Costa available again after he missed the trip to Old Trafford due to a hamstring problem and the Spain striker will be looking to add to the nine league goals he has scored in seven appearances this season.

VILLA DROUGHT

QPR climbed off the foot of the table with a 2-0 home win against beleaguered Aston Villa on Monday but with all of their seven points this season coming at Loftus Road, their hopes of a surprise result at Chelsea will be slim.

With the loss to Harry Redknapp's side, Villa extended their run of five straight league defeats without scoring a goal.

Paul Lambert will hope his side can score their first in over eight hours of football to reignite the early season form that saw them reach second in the league when they host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, who are enduring their own slump.

Second-placed Southampton look to continue to dumbfound their pre-season critics when they travel on Saturday to Hull City, who proved a stern test for Liverpool in a goalless draw at Anfield last weekend.

Another team exceeding all expectations, fourth-placed West Ham, follow their victory at home to the champions with a very different test at mid-table Stoke City.

A late Mario Balotelli-inspired comeback helped Liverpool book their place in the League Cup quarterfinal with a 2-1 home win against Swansea City on Tuesday, and the Italy striker will target a first league goal for the Reds when they visit Newcastle United early on Saturday.

England winger Theo Walcott could make his first appearance for Arsenal after 10 months out with injury to heap more misery on bottom club Burnley, who visit the Emirates Stadium having garnered only four points this season.