NEWS ROUND-UP
From the Evening News:
Mikael Silvestre says he's not given up on his World Cup dream - despite spending the last year keeping Paul Scholes company during international weekends.
The French defender picked up 33 caps for his national side, but has fallen out of favour with Les Bleus boss Raymond Domenech and has missed out for the last year.
And as France, fourth in their qualifying group at the moment, prepare for their double header against the Faroe Island and the Republic of Ireland, Silvestre says he still harbours hopes of a call-up.
"Of course, I would like to play in the World Cup with France," he told Manchester United Radio.
"But at the moment I just have to concentrate on my football with United. The only way I can get back into the squad is to play well at club level.
"I've not been in the squad a few times now, so I've been keeping Paul Scholes company on the international breaks.”
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake could be the next youngster sent out on loan in preparation for his first team call-up. Having almost recovered from the broken leg he picked up in February, reserve boss Ricky Sbragia thinks it could be time for the youngster to join them.
"There's obviously been enquiries about Sylvan - perhaps at the back end of the next transfer window we'll do something with him," he told United's website.
"Sylvan's coming on well. He's training for me all week now, so he's back. I think this weather will be better for him - the ground's a little bit softer.
"Maybe in the next week or so he'll be a sub. Then soon we'll start him in one of the games, maybe against Curzon Ashton just to give him a taste of action. After that we'll see how he goes, what reaction we get and go off what the physios say to us.”
Crap story from the Sun:
Andy Cole dashed round to a chippie after hearing it was selling £3.90 fish suppers for a quid — but ended up going hungry.
The £20,000-a-week Manchester City striker, 33, was among hundreds who flocked to bag a bargain at the take-away in posh Alderley Edge, Cheshire.
Well-heeled locals queued for up to TWO HOURS after Fosters chippie slashed prices to mark ten years in business.
£7million Cole and Wolves ace pal Mark Kennedy, 29, joined the mad rush. But by the time they got there the shop was shut.
Owner Gareth Foster, 33, said yesterday: “I was expecting it to be busy — but nothing like it was. It was amazing.”
Alderley Edge — home to some of soccer’s richest stars — has been dubbed Millionaires Row.
The chippie is also a favourite with Man United hero Wayne Rooney.
One lucky punter who grabbed a cod and chips said: “The queue was huge.”