Ahead of TheGame: Gerrard and Lampard ruled out for England

The news in 60 seconds

GERRARD AND LAMPARD RULED OUT FOR ENGLAND
The Liverpool and Chelsea midfielders will miss the friendly international against Germany in Berlin because of injury. Fulham's Jimmy Bullard and West Ham United's Scott Parker have been called into Fabio Capello's squad as cover. The good news is that John Terry has been passed fit to captain the side after he completed a full training session this morning.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article5172787.ece

CARRICK HOPING FOR ENGLAND START
The Manchester United midfielder has rejected claims that the match against Germany is an unwelcome fixture in an already packed schedule. "The club versus country thing always pops up but as players we don't get involved in that," he said. "We want to be part of the England team."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/article5173648.ece

BARTON OUT FOR EIGHT WEEKS
The Newcastle midfielder will miss up to two months after damaging knee ligaments against Wigan at the weekend. "I am not blaming Lee Cattermole in any way for this injury," he said. "It was a 50-50 ball and we both went for it, and these things happen. It's disappointing and frustrating and my sole intention is to knuckle down and bounce back and get fit again to help the Newcastle cause."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/newcastle/article5171999.ece

BRUCE CALLS FOR VIDEO REPLAYS
The Wigan manager believes video assistance for referees would help prevent the type of mistake which saw Emmerson Boyce sent off for a second bookable offence against Newcastle despite the defender winning the ball cleanly in a challenge on Shola Ameobi. "I would like to thank [referee] Andre Marriner for taking the time to look at Saturday's decision and I admire him for admitting that he made an error," Bruce said. "But what good does it do us?"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/wigan/article5172744.ece

BILIC PLOTS COURSE FOR ENGLAND
The Croatia manager would like to join a Premier League club when his tenure with the national team ends. "I would feel disappointed if I didn't become coach of an English club because I am a big fan of their football," he said. "I still have several offers but I can't say at the moment whether any of them will become reality."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article5173073.ece

LIVE MATCH TRACKER: NORTHAMPTON V LEEDS
Calling all Histon fans. Follow tonight's FA Cup first-round replay with our live scores and stats service.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/live_match_tracker/

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FREE MOBILE SERVICE TRIAL
Try our football alerts service free of charge for 14 days and get match-day team sheet, goal alerts, half-time updates, full-time results and league position for your team.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/tools_and_services/mobile_times/article4541324.ece
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If you've got another couple of minutes

The Debate: should Liverpool and Everton share a ground?
Martin Samuel says that on the Continent there would be a very simple solution to the relocation issues affecting Merseyside's two Premier League teams. The local council would build a stadium for them, with public money, and they would share it.

Our Chief Football Correspondent admits that both teams would probably prefer to throw in their lot with Tranmere instead, but suggests that English football perhaps misses a trick with its dogged independence. Have your say.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/11/martin-samuel-1.html

They call me One Size, that's not my name
Moritz Volz looks at the rules that govern nicknames in English football. "He-Man. That's what I got lumbered with when I first arrived at Arsenal as a trainee. Something to do with my unusually developed body," he writes. We list the top five, including Kiki 'Chris' Musampa and Neil 'Dissa' Pointon. Send in your favourites and the reasons behind them.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article5168540.ece

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>>>>>THE TABLOID TALE<<<<<
Man United players buy a racehorse - Daily Mirror
What you need to know: 1) Members of the Champions League winning team, including Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick, have bought the thoroughbred to celebrate their European victory. 2) The Red Army Partnership have christened the horse Moscow Eight. 3) "When they were discussing names they had to show some resistence to call it John Terry or something similar," a club insider said. "They thought it might be in bad taste after his penalty miss."
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>>>>>OUR RIVALS<<<<<

Owen's fit to quit - Daily Mirror
The Newcastle striker is heading for a showdown with manager Joe Kinnear as his first-team chances have become limited.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/11/17/michael-owen-heading-for-newcastle-showdown-after-joe-kinnear-benches-him-115875-20901874/

Missed chance - The Sun
Shaun Custis argues that Arsene Wenger should sign Gareth Barry from Aston Villa to guarantee Arsenal Champions League football.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1935269.ece

Harry seeks a Foster-keeper - Daily Mail
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp hopes to use his friendship with Sir Alex Ferguson to recruit Ben Foster on loan to replace Heurelho Gomes.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1086403/Fulham-2-Spurs-1-Harry-eyeing-Foster-Gomes-clanger.html

Keane's direction inspires Cisse - The Guardian
The Sunderland striker says it was the underfire manager's half-time team talk that inspired the Black Cats to victory over Blackburn.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/nov/17/premierleague-blackburn

Capello ignores the Green light - Daily Express
Mick Dennis can't believe that the West Ham goalkeeper is not included in the England squad after his faultess display against Portsmouth.
http://www.express.co.uk/football

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601
Goals that Manchester City have conceded in the Premier League since the top flight was renamed in 1992. Read more fascinating stats in Kaveh Solhekol's weekend in numbers: http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/11/the-weekend-in.html
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In TheGame

TheGame Podcast: solving Arsenal's problems
Gabriele Marcotti, Alyson Rudd and Nick Szczepanik join Phill Jupitus to review the weekend's Premier League action and discuss how the Gunners can lose to Aston Villa a week after defeating Manchester United. Plus, why Newcastle are due some luck and why nobody cares about Wigan. Available from 5pm.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/

Planet Jupitus
Phill recalls a golden age of football comics and his favourite strips, including Hot Shot Hamish and Raven On The Wing. "They have all but vanished in the computer age; even the mighty Roy Race is confined to an online, if successful, existence," he writes. "But when I was a boy there were some absolute belters." We welcome a wave of nostalgia on this one, but be careful looking around your attic.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/11/the-death-of-th.html

Manchester City Fanzone: alarm bells are ringing
Our Eastlands loyalist is concerned by the team's dip in form but believes the manager deserves at least two seasons to stamp his authority on the team. "Some fans are already calling for Mark Hughes's head after only 13 league games because, clearly, our policy of continually hiring and firing managers has proved a blueprint for success in the past," he says.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/fanzine_fanzone/2008/10/whats-in-a-cele.html

Tony Cascarino's Fiver
Our football analyst thinks Harry Redknapp should make a January move for Shay Given, Aston Villa's victory over Arsenal was not a surprise and that Sunderland would be crazy to even think about losing Roy Keane as their manager.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/11/tony-cascarinos.html

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Joe Bloggs' Soapbox

You've been quick out of the blocks to tackle Martin Samuel's debate on the possibility of Everton and Liverpool sharing a ground.

"A 'Stadium of Scouse' sounds like a great idea. When Liverpool play there the fans could paint every seat red. When Everton play there the fans could repaint them blue. After a couple of years you'd have the thickest seats in the Premiership. Comfy!"
DaveC offers a solution to the obvious problem about choosing a colour scheme for a new ground. If adopted, Crown Paints will be gutted they don't sponsor Liverpool anymore.

"As with the Olympic Stadium in Rome there could be distinct ends; but while Roma and Lazio have more or less equal number of supporters, one could imagine that on derby days Everton would take up just the last three rows at one end and the rest taken by Liverpool supporters."
Gary Kolhi is only having a bit of fun, but they'll have to be very long rows considering the 31,000 in attendance at Goodison Park yesterday.

"Would anyone dream of asking Manchester United and Manchester City to groundshare? Thought not - case closed!"
Er, maybe when they are both in financial strife they would. Sorry, John McCormick, but the file remains open.

"Top Marks [to Phill Jupitus] for remembering Raven on the Wing, but how could he have missed Nathan Flintlock the Wizard of Football and his protege Cyril Simpkin of Poorford Town? Nathan was of course the inventor of the famous Flintlock Flip, a variation of which managed to propel Huddersfield to an injury-time victory over Leeds this weekend."
Stephen.

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And expect...

Frank Lampard to play for Chelsea against Newcastle.

And expect...

Steven Gerrard to play for Liverpool against Fulham.

And expect...

Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand to play for Manchester United against Aston Villa.