RIO FERDINAND has left Manchester United in a Euro sweat after he spent the night in hospital.
Ferdinand went off near the end of Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Arsenal.
But SunSport can reveal the England defender, 30, stayed in hospital all night after damaging ribs in a collision with his own keeper Edwin van der Sar.
United now fear he will miss the return leg of their Champions League semi-final at The Emirates on Tuesday night.
United boss Alex Ferguson admitted after the match that he feared Rio, 30, might have cracked a rib.
Medics were still assessing the situation last night but Ferdinand is definitely out of tomorrow’s Premier League game at Middlesbrough
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CESC FABREGAS insists the FA will have to ban eight Arsenal players if they punish him for celebrating the FA Cup win against Hull.
The Gunners skipper said: “Yes, I came on to the pitch after the game to celebrate but there were about eight other players who did that so maybe everyone should be suspended for that.”
The Spanish midfielder is also accused of spitting at Tigers No 2 Brian Horton.
Fab, who will be 22 next Monday, said: “As for the claims that I spat . . . my heart and my mind are totally relaxed on that matter because I have certainly not done anything wrong.”
Fabregas has until May 12 to respond to the charges, which will be heard by an independent commission.
But the case is unlikely to be dealt with before the end of the season and, with no video footage of the alleged spitting incident, Fabregas is almost certain to be cleared of the more serious charge.
Hull boss Phil Brown has also been charged with bringing the game into disrepute over his post-match comments about referee Mike Riley.
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NICOLAS ANELKA would be happy to see Carlo Ancelotti become Chelsea boss in the summer.
The AC Milan coach could take over from Guus Hiddink, who insists he will quit Stamford Bridge in June to resume his full-time role with Russia.
Hiddink has transformed Chelsea's season since replacing Phil Scolari in February.
He could leave west London having helped the team win the FA Cup and Champions League at the end of this campaign.
Yet despite the Dutchman's impact, Anelka claims winning silverware will not see him extend his stay with the Blues.
The French ace has revealed Ancelotti, who is one of the favourites take the helm, would be a good replacement.
Anelka said: "I don't know him but I think he's a very good manager so, yeah, of course.
"Hiddink did great. He changed something, not significantly, but he's why we are here today.
"I think he will leave because this is what he said already. It's too late.
"When he signed, he knew he wanted to stay four months and wanted to leave to stay with the national team.
"I think he wants to do a good job before he leaves and we have to respect that."
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FABIO CANNAVARO has rejected the chance to join Manchester City this summer.
The Real Madrid and Italy defender's contract is up at the end of the season.
He has decided to leave the Bernabeu after three years in Spain.
World Cup winner Cannavaro revealed he has offers from City and Bayern Munich but he wants to rejoin Juventus.
The 35-year-old said: "There will be the World Cup next year and I want to stay relaxed.
"Real Madrid told me I would have to wait until after the presidential election to find out about a new contract and advised me to look around.
"But I have asked my agent to see if he can find a solution.
"I didn't want to have to start from scratch with the World Cup around the corner and that's why I have turned down Manchester City and Bayern."
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MANCHESTER UNITED will bid £30million for Karim Benzema — to replace Carlos Tevez.
SunSport can reveal that boss Alex Ferguson sent his brother Martin to see striker Benzema play for Lyon last week.
Argentina ace Tevez is frustrated at a lack of action at United.
He said: “I see myself leaving United more than staying. I don’t see why I should lie.”
France ace Benzema is seen as the best striker outside of Europe’s major leagues and United will face strong competition for his signature from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea.
Benzema, 21, will be sold if Lyon miss out on a Champions League berth — and that explains Martin Ferguson’s visit to France last week.
United want to be in pole position if the French club decide to offload their star striker.
Lyon are currently third — a point above Paris St Germain — and in serious danger of missing out on finishing second in Ligue 1 and a place in Europe’s elite competition.
Tevez’s two-year loan deal expires at the end of the season and United have to pay Kia Joorabchian — the man who owns the rights to the player — the best part of £32m to keep hold of him.
Fergie is reluctant to part with that sort of money because Tevez, 25, is not a prolific goalscorer.
But the Argentinian’s tremendous work ethic has seen him become a firm fans’ favourite at Old Trafford.
Tevez added: “I know the fans chant my name and sing the song about the boss signing me.
“They have always been very good to me. It’s emotional for me.
“It’s very difficult to say whether I will be here next year. I don’t know.”
Real Madrid and Barcelona are ready to pounce if Tevez leaves in the summer — and if they lose out on their own bids for Benzema.
The Frenchman is seen as a proven goalscorer who will provide Ferguson with extra firepower alongside Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Benzema burst on to the international scene last year and banged in 24 goals in 41 games for Lyon.
He has followed that up this season with 19 goals in 39 games so far.
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MICHAEL ESSIEN has told Barcelona’s moaners that Chelsea will be just as tough in next week’s Champions League semi-final return.
Barca stars Xavi and Andres Iniesta complained of being kicked during Tuesday’s 0-0 Nou Camp draw.
But Blues midfielder Essien declared: “In modern football you need to be strong.
“That is the way we play. Any time we tackled them they seemed to fall over.”
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IT’S impossible to find an English football team that does not have a sizeable contingent of foreign players these days.
And they have helped make our Premier League the best and most entertaining in the world.
It is never going to change and that is not a bad thing. We have thrown open the doors to quality players from around the world.
Flags of all nations flutter from the stands of every club in the country.
But there is absolutely no way that should extend to the England team. An exclusion zone needs to be enforced around Wembley.
I am referring to the repeated calls for Arsenal’s Spanish keeper Manuel Almunia to be called up for England — simply because he has lived here for five years.
I don’t care. I could not disagree more. He is not English.
If it came to a choice between England winning the World Cup with a Spanish keeper or not winning it, I’d rather not win.
For a start, if we cannot produce our own footballers, our own generation of keepers to play for England, then we don’t deserve to win anything in the first place.
And secondly, I would not be interested in an England team that was full of non-English players.
You’re English if you were born here or your mum and dad were born here.
In that case, I don’t care if your family comes from India, Australia, Pakistan or Jamaica — you’re English in my mind.
But someone like Almunia, who comes here from Spain and spends a few years playing for Arsenal, does not suddenly become English.
I have nothing against Almunia. He is a good keeper and he had a good game for Arsenal on Wednesday night against Manchester United.
But he is no better, in fact I don’t think he is as good as, David James, the current England No 1.
David is English, Manuel isn’t.
Almunia should play for Spain, that is his country.
But he is not exactly knocking on their door, is he?
I would rather have James in goal for England than him. David is a better keeper.
Almunia has had a tough job filling the boots of Jens Lehmann at Arsenal. Maybe if Lehmann had stayed another year he could play for England as well!
I just wouldn’t be interested in a World Cup in which England had a Spanish goalkeeper.
This is just my personal opinion.
Our energy should not be spent trying to process a passport of convenience for Manuel Almunia to play for England.
We should be devoting our time and investment into finding and developing the future generation of England goalkeepers.
I hear that Norwich City have a couple of good young kids we can bring through.
Yes, the Three Lions coach Fabio Capello is Italian. That is different.
Playing in the England team is completely different.
What can I say Manuel? ‘Lo Siento’ — sorry old chum.
HARRY REDKNAPP is an ambassador of E.ON’s Family Football campaign. E.ON is encouraging families to watch The FA Cup Final together by offering a range of benefits via www.familyfootball.co.uk
Log on to get your hands on a virtual FA Cup and to download an interactive version of The FA Cup Final match day programme.
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