Fabregas on Arsenal’s CL squad list
NYON: Arsenal has included Barcelona transfer target Cesc Fabregas on its list of eligible players for the Champions League playoff matches against Udinese, UEFA said on Tuesday. UEFA rules prevent any player who appears in a playoff from representing another team later in the competition, and Fabregas reportedly might refuse to play against Udinese to preserve his Champions League eligibility for Barcelona. Arsenal is scheduled to host the first leg on Aug. 16. The return is in Italy on Aug. 24. Barcelona has pursued Fabregas for more than one year and hopes to sign its former youth player before the transfer window closes Aug. 31. UEFA required clubs in the playoffs to submit their “A” list of 25 eligible players by Monday’s deadline. Clubs can also select younger homegrown players from a “B” list. If he leaves, Fabregas is likely to be replaced as Arsenal captain by Robin van Persie.Van Persie is suspended for the home leg against Udinese after being shown a red card as the Gunners were eliminated in the round-of-16 last season by Barcelona. (Agencies)
Gunners get work permit for Miyaichi
TOKYO: Japanese teenager Ryo Miyaichi has been granted a work permit to play for Arsenal next season on the grounds of being an ”exceptional talent”, the English Premier League has said. The 18-year-old midfielder joined Arsenal in January and was loaned to Dutch side Feyenoord as he was unable to obtain the necessary paperwork having not represented Japan’s senior side. An FA panel yesterday agreed to grant the documentation after hearing from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and reading a letter of recommendation from the Japan Football Association. ”We are absolutely delighted… This is almost like a new signing for us,” Wenger told Arsenal’s official website (www.arsenal.com). ”Ryo has worked extremely hard in pre-season and performed very well during the matches in Asia, Germany and Portugal. ”Ryo has natural technical ability. He has good balance and phenomenal pace, and his passing and crossing is consistently of a high quality.” (Reuters)
Japan crush South Korea 3-0
SAPPORO: Japan overpowered fierce rivals South Korea 3-0 in an emotionally charged friendly on Wednesday less than a week after former international Naoki Matsuda died after collapsing in training. Following a minute’s silence in memory of Matsuda before kickoff in Sapporo, midfielder Shinji Kagawa put the Blue Samurai in front with a sharp right-foot finish after 34 minutes. Keisuke Honda made it 2-0 eight minutes into the second half, clinically firing a left-foot shot just inside the post before Kagawa grabbed his second from point-blank range moments later following a flowing move from Japan. Japan’s players, unbeaten in 11 matches under Italian Alberto Zaccheroni and wearing black armbands, pointed skywards in tribute to Matsuda after each goal in a rare win over the Koreans. Both sides were using the game as a warm-up for the third round of Asian 2014 World Cup qualifiers which begin on Sept. 2. (Reuters)