England sees Adebayor close to the Real Madrid

The 'Daily Mirror' puts Emmanuel Adebayor close to Real Madrid and says that Manchester City would be willing to give the player until next June 30 in exchange for 1.2 million euros, negotiable amount. Togolese striker is one of the three main options (Klose and Valdez are the other two) that manage the club to replace Higuain, almost certainly low for the remainder of the season.

Emmanuel Adebayor

At first, the City, which has just signed another striker, Dzeko (Bosnian, 35 million) was only willing to part Adebayor with a transfer. And Real Madrid does not want a player in property because they think make a huge investment of the summer in a striker over the Togolese importance.

However, the English club, which has an excess of attackers, have reached only loan offers from clubs who cannot pay the tab from the striker, that around ten million euros a year. The City, threatened by the new economic regulations of FIFA, needs to lighten its payroll. Real Madrid is willing to pay the portion of the tab that corresponds (the final part of the season) and agree a purchase option which the English could be set at 24 million. Madrid would not be willing to sign more than 17.

The 'Daily Mirror' says that Jose Mourinho wanted to hire him when he headed Chelsea and was the player's salary, then at Arsenal, which discouraged Roman Abramovich. Now the circumstances are different, because Adebayor is not required on his team which also considered him to conflict. Last week he staged a fight with the captain of the City, Kolo Toure, during a workout.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Kun Agüero. The Duel

The Cup does not understand statistics. Atletico does not win at Real Madrid since 1999 and in these 12 years the Madrid domain is staggering: 12 wins and six draws. But none of this applies when there is a Cup tie involved, with Cristiano on one side and Kun Agüero other.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Kun Aguero

The Portuguese star is released. He comes from scoring a hat trick against Villarreal and adds 23 goals in 18 games of the season. At this rate, without injury, Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to exceed 50 goals in all competitions. In the last Cup game against Levante at the Bernabeu, the whites scored eight goals, three with the signing of Portuguese.

But Quique Sanchez Flores has already made clear. He will not prepare anything special to stop the Portuguese: "Focusing on Cristiano would be a serious mistake" Atletico coach told in press conference.

Atletico are good at the Cup at the Bernabeu and Quique has to rely on Diego Forlan and Kun Aguero especially. The Argentine has already shown that the counter-attack and with spaces is more than lethal.

The match is set: Cristiano vs Kun Agüero. The favoritism is on the side of Real Madrid, but we know that in these cases Atletico is unpredictable. And the competition with two-legged is usually better for the red-whites than whites.

Preview: Real Madrid vs Atletico

Real Madrid and Atletico dispute on Thursday (10 pm -Spain time-) the first assault of their Spanish Cup quarter-final. A duel, unbalanced in favor of whites who were clearly higher in the derby league and are 20 points above its neighbors in the championship, also reinforced by the valuable victory achieved against Villarreal. Opposite, Atletico who still licking the wounds of the Rico Perez, with Quique Flores dancing on the wire and the fans angry. The worst scenario for any team, but not for Atletico.

Real Madrid vs Atletico

Second derby of the teams in the season. Cup returns to measure the unequal forces. As It goes for twelve eleven years of white rule, provides virtually no surprise, and at that stage Atletico becomes more dangerous. It is the unpredictability made football team.

Real Madrid won the Liga derby in good faith, but Atletico stood up. The results covered everything. Real solved the match in 20 minutes, and when the Bernabeu was preparing for the win, Sergio Agüero signed a stirring performance of rebellion. He had no prize, but the Kun was again the great red-white hop and will be today.

Two months after that match, Real Madrid has distanced Atletico in the League and now aims to eliminate them to enter in semi-finals, where has not appearing for last five years. Exceptionally, José Mourinho has not made the starting eleven, but hinted at changes. Albiol and Lass can go out, even Özil. Arbeloa, Khedira, Granero ... More than three new faces would be too.

For Atletico, the match's name is Juanfran (also the eternal Kun). Another former Madrid player who ends up playing next to Manzanares. He's in the list, so it is possible that Quique use him. Up front Forlan and Reyes will play and team trust in them to achieve at least a goal that could be gold at the second leg in Calderón Stadium. Atletico, outside Europe and away from the Champions League classification, see Spanish Cup like the table of salvation of the season.

Mourinho: "With Higuain has been what I expected"

Have you been able to talk with Higuain?

I tried talking to him but I did not succeed. It is normal after surgery; he does not pick up the phone and has to rest. But I talked to the doctor, and everything is normal, as expected, what I said long ago. After John Terry operation it was just what the doctor said. One thing is the recovery from surgery and other a recovery of the player. With John it was the same, he returned to training months later and played a couple of months later, but in order to become the best England central, it cost. Today John is the same but has suffered a lot. About Higuain, to be on top I think we'll wait at the start of next season, is basically what I expected. We all want everything goes well and return to being the player we know.

Confirmed the four-month low of Higuain, the club supports the possibility of hiring someone. It is a battle won ...

I have no fight with anyone at Real Madrid. I try to be honest. I spoke to the club a couple of months to say how I saw the situation. I have been honest, while not being a doctor or know little about medicine, my experience told me that Higuain will not play again this season, when others said he would be for Lyon. The club knows my position, but the club is sovereign. I will work every day and the club's decision is the decision of the club.

Failure to sign a striker in winter, does it reduce the chances of success of the team?

I do not know. Obviously a greater number of options are always a help to the coaches.The other day I commented, the Arsenal has Van Persie, Chamakh, Bendtner, Arshavin and a fifth I do not remember. It has five forwards. The Milan has Ibra, Cassano, Inzaghi who is now injured, Robinho, Pato ... We have begun the season with Higuain and Karim and are an attacking team. But hey, there is no perfect team. Perhaps the team that has many strikers has not covered other positions. We have five central defenders and I will not talk about this any longer.

The other day Cani threw you a bottle and the competition committee did not sanction him. What do you think? What if you had done?

I'm glad that they have removed the card because I do not like having players suspended. I like watching the best in the field. Cani is a good player and Villarreal plays a very important game. For me, there is no problem but as you say, if my player throws a bottle, he cannot play for three months, and if I do that, I will not back to a bench in all my life. But do not worry; the bottle had a little water. There was no aggression, was a gesture of someone who is just one of those who think that what I do has a negative connotation. But I'm glad he can play tomorrow.

What Atletico is expected tomorrow?

I hope the best Atletico of all. Is a team that played very well at the Bernabeu. We have controlled them better than to Villarreal, but they play very well. Atletico has a very good coach and good players. Now it has a deep wound, because losing a game 4-1 is not easy, we know. The worst thing that could happen was the Atletico defeat in Alicante, because our match will be much more difficult than normal. They also know that will play the second match at home with supporters that help a lot, and will be a tough match.

What about Kaka? Is he going to be starter tomorrow?

He is progressing. I'm not going to give the alignment, but Kaka is progressing. He takes three games at a good pace. The match against Villarreal was high intensity. Against Getafe match was won when he entered. Against Levante there was no history. The sensations are better.

What about Lass after what happened against Villarreal?

I changed him because the team was not right. I could not change at 4, 5 or 6 players because I would play with only three defenders and knew that later, if the team did not win, we change to play without Albiol. At that time was best for the team having Khedira, which may be third central. I analyzed the game at that time and what could be done later, and was the best decision. I always think of the feelings of the players but during the match I just think of the team. Maybe it was not a decision that has been good, but I just think of the team.

Are you worried about the fatigue of January?

I prefer to wear this to be out of the Champions League or have no chance of winning the League. We have on staff some players who can give the possibility of rotations. We now have in midfield Lass, Khedira, Granero… and we have no reason to play through January with the same two. In defense we can do rotations. Up front, people always know who will play.

Miroslav Klose, patch to supply Higuain?

Upon confirmation of Higuain downtime, Real Madrid could get down to work to give Mourinho a striker to replace Benzema when the French cannot be on the field. Rumours in the Italian and German press talk about Miroslav Klose.

Miroslav Klose

The striker of Bayern Munich, which had fewer minutes than usual last year because of injuries, does not fit into the plans of Louis Van Gaal this season and is ready to move out this month. Klose has only played a total of 11 official matches for Bayern this season (7 League, 2 Cup and 2 Champions) since Thomas Muller and Mario Gomez are the starters in the Bavarians. But his scoring and his ability to perform always quality minutes is beyond doubt, as demonstrated in the last World Cup, despite having 32 years.

In the World Cup he scored four goals in five games, always playing as a starter. Furthermore he is still necessary for the Germany coach Joachim Low who has lined up as a starter in every game that Germany has played in the qualifiers for Euro 2012.

His contract with Bayern expires next June, and he has admitted that although he would like to stay in the German side, the sport situation is not the best and would welcome a transfer to a team from the Bundesliga or abroad. Juventus and Lazio could also be interested in signing.

The German player could not play in the Champions League with Real Madrid because he already participated in the competition with Bayern, which is a major handicap. The white team needs a striker but the market does not seem to have a player that fits the particular circumstances of the team.

Higuain will be sidelined until May

The doctor Richard G. Fessler, a spine surgeon with more prestige in the world, operated yesterday Higuain. Doctor underwent him an endoscopic discectomy between vertebrae L-4 and L-5 that lasted an hour and ten minutes. According to Fessler, Higuain will return to pitch in May, but will not reach 100% after a year. According to Carlos Diez, chief of medical services of Real Madrid, Higuain "could be back in three months"

The player spent the night under observation and will be discharged today, but will not return to Spain to within seven days. Dr. Fessler wants to examine him in the coming days. Jorge Higuain, father of the player, calm down; "Everything went perfect" There was also the Argentina team doctor, Daniel Armando Martinez.

Fessler, the main doctor who was attending the NFL players to treat his back injury, said that conservative treatment before surgery was the correct one, contradicting Mourinho's words.

Doctor Fessler

Richard Fessler confirmed at a press conference that the striker's recovery will be "fast" and "complete"; "I have no doubt that between two and four weeks he can run without problems. Later in the period of 10 weeks after surgery may participate with other colleagues in all types of work" said Fessler in conference press briefing at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

Fessler, who explained that the lumbar disc hernia Higuain suffered was something that was normal among athletes, said he hoped the Real Madrid striker was playing in two months, although not at the level of competition; "If all goes well, in three months he could be playing competitively, although the margin of four also is possible" he said. In this sense, Fessler acknowledged that when Higuain plays after recovery will be "normal" to feel any discomfort, but his condition will be perfect, without any sequel.

According to Fessler, the total recovery, which have gone all kinds of discomfort, can take a period approaching a year, but this depends on the resilience that each athlete can have and especially their age. Fessler noted that the player's age, 23 years, will help with recovery; "Neither you (journalists) and I could recover so quickly" said the doctor.

Higuain, successfully operated

Gonzalo Higuain has been successfully operated on his slipped disc in the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. "Everything went well" confirmed Jorge Higuain, father of the player, after the operation which holds 20 of Real Madrid on the sidelines since last November.

Gonzalo Higuain (Chicago)

Although it was initially scheduled to Higuain was operated at around 1 pm, the player was admitted to Northwestern Memorial near 5.30 am and the operation concluded around 10.30 am.

The operation was carried out by Dr. Richard Fessler, who will provide all the details of it in a press conference to be held at 3.30 pm. Higuain will stay overnight in hospital and will be discharged, most likely on Wednesday.

Higuain came into the clinic at 05.30 hours in the morning, Chicago time. City that these days is covered by a thick blanket of snow. On Monday night, to relax in the hours before the operation, the player, accompanied by his family, came to enjoy the NBA game between Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons.