Kamen: Spain captain Raul Gonzalez could return to the starting lineup in Tuesday’s match against France. Raul played with the expected starting formation in a training session on Sunday morning at the expense of Liverpool’s Luis Garcia. In the midfield, Cesc Fabregas replaced Brazilian-born Marcos Senna.

Luis Garcia conceded he appeared to have lost his spot in the lineup to Raul, but put on a brave face. “From the training it seems he (Aragones) plans to start with that team, and I would be left out,” he said in Kamen. “You can’t do anything, just keep working. Right now we have to think like a unit and not individually.”

Ashley wins damages

London: A British tabloid has agreed to pay damages to England defender Ashley Cole after he was linked to two articles they ran about two footballers indulging in gay sex. “We are happy to make clear that Mr Cole and Masterstepz were not involved in any such activities. We apologise to them for any distress caused and we will be paying them each a sum by way of damages,” the paper said in an apology.

500 England fans held

Stuttgart: Five hundred England fans have been arrested in Stuttgart in the two days leading up to their side’s second-round match with Ecuador for mostly drunken and aggressive behaviour, police said on Sunday

Home service at £463

London: A British fan who flew to Germany but missed his favourite curry dish has asked a restaurant to “fly something over”. Gary Chambers, a regular diner at the two-month old restaurant in St Alban’s, faxed his order to owner Ibrahim Miyah who initially dismissed it as a prank. Fortunately for Chambers, Miyah agreed to his unusual takeaway order and the restaurant is set to fly a meal for eight for ?463.6.

Japanese commits suicide

Taipei: A Japanese man hanged himself in Taiwan on Sunday after the Asian champions failed to secure a single victory, a report said. The 60-year-old man, identified as Yoshio Takanashi, was found dead at the home of his Taiwanese wife’s parents in Taichung.

Raucous welcome

Port of Spain: Trinidad and Tobago’s soccer team didn’t win a game or score a goal in its World Cup debut, but their Caribbean homeland welcomed the Soca Warriors back with a raucous street party. Music blared as the soccer side’s fans danced behind slow-moving trucks carrying dozens of massive speakers along Port of Spain’s main avenue, which was packed with raucous parade-goers decked out in the Warriors’ red-and-black T-shirts.

Lagerback won’t quit

Bremen: Sweden coach Lars Lagerback said on Sunday he would not quit after his team’s World Cup exit and said media expectations back home had been too high. “I haven’t thought about it at all,” Lagerback said when asked about criticism blaming him for the exit. “I have a contract until 2008 and have not had any other thoughts.”

Relief for Turkey

Istanbul: Turkey has welcomed a Fifa decision to halve their punishment for violence at a World Cup qualifier versus Switzerland. Fifa ruled Turkey must play their next three home competitive matches behind closed doors on neutral territory. The original sanction, imposed in February, covered six matches.

Dream team

Berlin: Didier Drogba, Tomas Rosicky and Dwight Yorke have more in common than the fact that they all belong to teams which have bowed out at the group stage of World Cup. The trio feature in a ‘dream team’ of those who left, named by the fifaworldcup.com.