The 22-year-old Danish international underwent surgery last November but the injury has continued to trouble him. The injury hampered his World Cup campaign in South Africa as well and manager Arsene Wenger has revealed Bendtner will not be ready for Arsenal’s opening game against Liverpool on 15th August due to same injury.

“Bendtner will not be available for the start of the season,” Wenger told the club’s official website.

“Fabregas and Van Persie are due to come back on 5th August and from then on we will see how much build-up work is needed physically and as well how they have recovered mentally from the World Cup.”

“They might be short for the first game (of the season) but I don’t know, that will depend on the fitness work they have done during the holiday,” he added.

Denilson and Abu Diabi, meanwhile, are both expected to be fit for Arsenal’s final pre-season game, against Legia Warsaw on 7th August.

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The Stuttgart defender, who has a buy-out clause in his contract (which runs till June 2014) in the region of £18.5million, has also reportedly attracted interest from Tottenham and Juventus.

Arsenal held talks with the German club but have not made an offer as yet.

However, Tasci’s agent Uli Ferber has indicated an Arsenal move could still be on the cards by stressing the 23-year-old’s admiration for the Emirates club.

Ferber was reported by the The Sun as saying: “Serdar admires English football and has huge respect for Arsenal.”

The 23-year-old German international, who has one year left on his contract, has been linked with a move to the Bernabeu ever since his successful World Cup finals in South Africa.

Stuttgart wanted to keep the talented midfielder, but have now accepted they may have to part company with their prized asset after Khedira turned in a transfer request.

Khedira told the club’s general manager Fredi Bobic that he would like a move and hence the Bundesliga outfit are now looking into resolving his future

“Khedira has told us that he wants to go to Real,” Bobic told Bild. “Now we have to find a solution.”

“We have to keep in mind it is a unique opportunity when you get the chance to join Real Madrid,” he added to sport1.de.

“You don’t get this chance every day. I’m of the belief it will also end up being a big thing for Stuttgart to see one of the club’s best youngsters join a club like Real Madrid.”

“However, it is now up to Real Madrid to meet our demands with regard to the transfer fee.”

While Bobic admits the club would be hindered by the loss of Khedira he is happy with the midfield options they will still be able to call upon.

“It’s a fact Sami would be missed as he’s a key factor inside our first-team squad, but basically we have enough strength in depth available in central midfield as Christian Trasch and Zdravko Kuzmanovic are part of our squad with Christian Gentner, too,” he said.

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The versatile defender from Brazil is being strongly linked with a move to Chelsea or Manchester City this summer after having played an important part in Benfica’s championship-winning season last term.

Bruce told the Portuguese press: “I am surprised this kid is not in the Brazil national squad.”

“He is a good footballer with pride, fight and quality. This type of footballer is wanted in England because his style is very English,” he said of the 23-year-old Luiz.

“It doesn’t surprise me that Chelsea and Manchester City are interested because David Luiz is a footballer capable of playing for the best teams in the world,” he added.

“He is a leader and I believe he would do very well in the Premier League.”

The Serbia forward is expected to make his competitive debut for the Reds in tonight’s Europa League qualifier against FK Rabotnicki.

The 29-year-old former Standard Liege attacker has now revealed how he had previously rejected a move to the Bernabeu after not being guaranteed regular first-team football.

“I think 99 % of people I spoke to told me they did not understand why I said no to Real,” said Jovanovic, who scored Serbia’s winner against Germany in the group stage of the World Cup.

“But maybe I am special. I thought if I went it would be as an ordinary player, but that, if I stayed, I would be where I felt good, where I was a star in Belgium.”

“It is only a small league but Standard Liege won two titles and two Super Cups while I was there and I won two personal awards, one from coaches and players and the second from journalists. So I was very happy,” he explained.

“Real offered me just a one-year deal with an option for two years. I said four, they said no and so I turned them down. Maybe they are the biggest club in the world, but I always knew that other big clubs would come,” he added.

“I will never go somewhere where I only play a small part. Why? It is better to be happy somewhere. Now I only want to look forward and play for Liverpool.”

Taylor suffered the injury earlier this month and was forced out of Newcastle’s pre-season games. But it was hoped the defender would be fit for the start of the new campaign.

However, that is not the case and after having to undergo surgery Newcastle have confirmed he would be out for around three months.

The 24-year-old also suffered from a shoulder problem back in 2006 when he missed four months with a dislocated shoulder.

Magpies’ boss Chris Hughton will be definitely disappointed to lose Taylor, despite having bolstered his defensive options on Wednesday by signing veteran centre-back Sol Campbell.

Mascherano, who led Argentina in the World Cup in South Africa, has been the subject of intense speculation all summer, especially since Reds boss Rafael Benitez left the club to take over at Inter Milan.

Mascherano had not yet spoken with his new boss, Roy Hodgson, who was reduced to leaving several messages when he called him in Argentina.

However, after returning from the post-World-Cup-break to training this week, Mascherano held talks with Hodgson, confirming he wants to leave.

Hodgson said: “Yes, he wants to leave the club. He made that perfectly clear. I think he wanted to leave a year ago.”

“He wants to leave now but he has a contract, and I expect him to honour that contract. I expect him to be a Liverpool player until the day the club chooses to accept an offer for him.”

Mascherano is now being linked with a reunion with former boss Rafael Benitez at Inter Milan and Hodgson is preparing himself for a £25million bid from the European champions.

The England international was the standout performer for the Hammers last season; therefore clubs showing interest in him is not a big surprise.

Tottenham Hotspur are the first ones to have made an official offer for Parker as they look to strengthen their squad before the start of the new season in which they will compete in the Champions League as well.

However West Ham were quick to say no, with co-owner David Sullivan making it clear that Parker is not for sale at any price.

“I made a promise that I would not sell Scott and I will not, for any amount of money, break that promise to the West Ham supporters,” Sullivan told the club’s official website.

“Scott is not for sale at any price, to anyone. West Ham supporters, for too long, have had owners that sell their best players and promise one thing and do another.”

“This is a new era. We are building a bigger, better West Ham and when we make a promise, we honour it.”

Sullivan added: “The club informed Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy prior to him making the offer that we would not welcome any approach to unsettle the player.”

“Scott Parker has three years left on his contract and the club has opened talks with his agent over a new five-year deal.”

Maradona, 49, admitted he wanted to stay in the job ahead of a meeting with AFA president Julio Grondona on Monday. But the AFA voted not to renew his deal apparently because Maradona rejected demands to change his backroom staff.

The AFA have, in the meantime, appointed Under-20 coach Sergio Batista as caretaker boss.

Argentina, after an impressive and promising start to the tournament, came down crashing at the quarter-final stage of the World Cup losing 4-0 to Germany.

Grondona said: “It is difficult to agree. The hardest difference to agree on was changing some of Diego’s staff.”

“Nobody has been sacked. A contract has not been extended because the conditions were not suitable,” he clarified.

The 31-year-old full-back is now weighing up his options, with Villa prepared to let him leave should he wish to do so.

“There has been an offer from a football club, which Luke is mulling over,” O’Neill told Villa’s official website; confirming that an offer has been made without disclosing the name of the club.

But it is Liverpool that have made the move for the former England international, with an offer reported by some as £2.75 million and by others as £2.5million.

Andy Evans, Young’s agent, said: “A fee has been agreed with Liverpool. We’re now in discussions about Luke’s contract.”

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