22 METROSPORT Thursday, September 10, 2009 D LiverpooLs Brazilian full-back Fabio Aurelio aims to prove his fitness this week in time for a possible return to first-team action at the weekend. The reds face Burnley at Anfield on saturday and are at home to Hungarian side Debrecen in their Champions League opener next Wednesday. Aurelio, equally comfortable at left-back or left midfield, has yet to play this season following a cartilage operation after he damaged his knee in a kickabout with friends while on holiday in Brazil earlier in the summer. But he will play in a practice match today and said: i am feeling good and working hard to try and get back into the squad for saturday. i hope to prove my fitness and be involved against Burnley. i have been training for three weeks and i cant wait to get back. Return: Aurelio Aurelio keen to prove fitness More transfer bans possible, says Sepp FiFA president sepp Blatter believes a number of clubs are worried about their own positions following Chelseas transfer ban. The Blues have been stopped from buying players until January 2011 after being found guilty of irregularities over the signing of teenager Gael Kakuta from Lens in 2007. Chelsea insist they have done nothing wrong and are appealing to the Court of Arbitration for sport in Lausanne. But Blatter, who has denounced the practice of signing young players from overseas as child trafficking, has warned other clubs could face similar consequences. There are clubs now who are looking at their books, some have even announced a certain player has no contract with them and he is an amateur, said Blatter. They have done this to try to make sure the player does not come under the jurisdiction of congress. The case we have just decided on is one with a player going from France to england. But most of the cases we have on our desk are from Africa to europe or south America to europe. There are so many cases on the desks of Fifa. Fiorentina are considering a formal complaint to Fifa over the signing of 16-year-old Michele Fornasier by Manchester United. the italian club have contacted the world governing body but no investigation has yet been launched. United are confident over their legal position players aged under 18 are not permitted to sign contracts in italy and Fornasier was not contracted to Fiorentina when he was signed by United. Fifa has confirmed a formal investigation has yet to be opened. Fiorentina consider complaint over teens transfer to United soccer FIXTUres GOLF USPGA Tour Playoffs BMW Championship (Until Sunday): (Cog Hill GC, Lemont, Illinois) European Tour Mercedes-Benz Championship (Until Sunday): (GC Gut Larchenhof, Cologne). HORSE RACING Chepstow, Doncaster, Epsom resULTs roUND-UP By PAUL MURPHy FIFA WORLD CUP EUROPEAN QUALIFYING GROUP ONE Albania ............1 Denmark ........ 1 Hungary ..........0 Portugal ......... 1 Pepe 10 Malta ...............0 Sweden .......... 1 P W D L F A Pts Denmark 8 5 3 0 15 4 18 Sweden 8 4 3 1 9 3 15 Portugal 8 3 4 1 10 5 13 Hungary 8 4 1 3 9 5 13 Albania 9 1 4 4 5 9 7 Malta 9 0 1 8 0 22 1 GROUP TWO Israel ..................7 Luxembourg ....0 Latvia ..............2 Switzerland .... 2 Moldova ..........1 Greece ............ 1 P W D L F A Pts Switzerland 8 5 2 1 15 8 17 Greece 8 4 2 2 13 7 14 Latvia 8 4 2 2 13 8 14 Israel 8 3 3 2 17 9 12 Luxembourg 8 1 2 5 3 20 5 Moldova 8 0 3 5 3 12 3 GROUP ThREE Czech Rep ......7 San Marino .... 0 N Ireland .........0 Slovakia .......... 2 Att 16,000 Sestak 15 Holosko 66 Slovenia ..........3 Poland ............ 0 P W D L F A Pts Slovakia 8 6 1 1 21 8 19 Slovenia 8 4 2 2 13 4 14 Northern Ireland 9 4 2 3 13 9 14 Czech Republic 8 3 3 2 15 6 12 Poland 8 3 2 3 19 11 11 San Marino 9 0 0 9 1 44 0 GROUP FOUR Germany .........4 Azerbaijan ...... 0 Ltenstein ........1 Finland ........... 1 Wales ..............1 Russia ............ 3 Collins 54 Semshov 36 Att 11,589 Ignashevich 71 Pavlyuchenko 90 P W D L F A Pts Germany 8 7 1 0 24 4 22 Russia 8 7 0 1 18 4 21 Finland 8 4 2 2 11 12 14 Wales 8 3 0 5 6 10 9 Liechtenstein 8 0 2 6 2 19 2 Azerbaijan 8 0 1 7 1 13 1 GROUP FIvE Armenia ..........2 Belgium .......... 1 Bosnia-H .........1 Turkey ............. 1 Spain ...............L Estonia ...........L P W D L F A Pts Spain 7 7 0 0 18 2 21 Bosnia-Herz 8 5 1 2 21 8 16 Turkey 8 3 3 2 11 8 12 Belgium 8 2 1 5 11 18 7 Estonia 7 1 2 4 7 19 5 Armenia 8 1 1 6 5 18 4 GROUP SIx Andorra ...........1 Kazakhstan .... 3 Belarus ............0 Ukraine ........... 0 England ...........5 Croatia ........... 1 Lampard 8 (pen), 59 Eduardo 73 Gerrard 18, 66 Att 87,319 Rooney 77 P W D L F A Pts England 8 8 0 0 31 5 24 Croatia 9 5 2 2 17 12 17 Ukraine 8 4 3 1 14 6 15 Belarus 8 3 1 4 15 11 10 Kazakhstan 8 2 0 6 10 23 6 Andorra 9 0 0 9 3 33 0 GROUP SEvEN F Islands ..........2 Lithuania ......... 1 Romania .........1 Austria ............ 1 Serbia ..............1 France ............ 1 Milijas 13 (pen) Henry 31 P W D L F A Pts Serbia 8 6 1 1 16 6 19 France 8 4 3 1 10 8 15 Austria 8 3 2 3 11 11 11 Lithuania 8 3 0 5 7 8 9 Romania 8 2 3 3 9 12 9 Faroe Islands 8 1 1 6 4 12 4 GROUP EIGhT Italy .................2 Bulgaria .......... 0 Grosso 11, Iaquinta 40 Montenegro .....1 Cyprus ..............1 Vucinic 56 (pen) Okkas 63 P W D L F A Pts Italy 8 6 2 0 13 3 20 Rep of Ireland 8 4 4 0 10 6 16 Bulgaria 8 2 5 1 10 7 11 Cyprus 8 1 3 4 8 12 6 Montenegro 8 0 5 3 7 13 5 Georgia 8 0 3 5 4 11 3 GROUP NINE Norway ...........2 Macedonia ..... 1 Scotland .........0 Holland ........... 1 Att 51,230 Elia 82 P W D L F A Pts Holland 8 8 0 0 17 2 24 Norway 8 2 4 2 9 7 10 Scotland 8 3 1 4 6 11 10 FYR Macedonia 8 2 1 5 5 11 7 Iceland 8 1 2 5 7 13 5 UEFA U-21 QUALIFIER Estonia ............1 Rep Ireland .... 1 Saag 4 Sheridan 7 ENGLAND CANTER INTO FINALS Picture:Getty CILLIAN SHERIDANS equaliser in Estonia earned the Republic of Ireland a 1-1 draw and opened their account in the European Under-21 Championship qualifying campaign. The 20-year- old Celtic striker, currently on loan at Plymouth, struck in the seventh minute in Rakvere to cancel out Kaimar Saags opener and secure a creditable point against the current leaders in Group Two. UeFa U-21 qUaLIFIer keNNy may aPPeaL SHEFFIELD United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny may appeal his nine- month drugs ban. The 31-year-old tested positive for ephedrine after taking an over-the-counter medicine for a chest infection. Kennys lawyer Stephen Taylor Heath said: One of the bases of mitigation is that it did not find its way into his system to enhance performance. Paddy Kenny is an honest guy and we have a legal system of proportionality. Nine months seems excessive. ENGLAND are through to the 2010 World Cup finals as two goals apiece from Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard enabled them to overpower Croatia 5-1 at Wembley. Lampard and Gerrard took full revenge after being two of only three survivors from the England side beaten by Croatia in a Euro 2008 qualifier at the same stadium two years ago. Wayne Rooney added a fifth after Arsenal striker Eduardo netted a consolation goal for the visitors. England had only needed a draw to qualify. eNgLaND 5 croaTIa 1 index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html