Pablo Aimar

Madrid: Valencia’s Argentine international midfielder Pablo Aimar is suffering from a form of viral meningitis, the Primera Liga club said on Thursday. The 26-year-old, a key player in Argentine coach Jose Pekerman’s World Cup plans, was admitted to hospital on Wednesday after complaining of fever and headaches.

Subsequent tests confirmed that he was suffering from the condition. It was, however, made clear made it clear that Aimar had a benign form of meningitis that will not have any permanent consequences and was not contagious.

 

Roque on course

London: Roque Santa Cruz, the Paraguay forward, is on course to be fit for this summer’s World Cup after playing in Bayern Munich’s last two matches. The 24-year-old sustained a cruciate ligament injury to his right knee in October 2005, but has returned to action well ahead of schedule.

“I am delighted to be back playing again. Everything is going faster than I expected,” said Santa Cruz. “I did not expect to come back so soon. It is getting better day by day and my confidence is growing so I am not afraid to go into tackles anymore.”

 

Yorke at helm

London: Trinidad & Tobago coach Leo Beenhakker has named a provisional 24-man squad for the World Cup in Germany.

The team will be captained by former Manchester United and Aston Villa striker Dwight Yorke, the Soca Warriors said on their official Web site.

THE SQUAD ? Kelvin Jack, Shaka Hislop, Clayton Ince, Dennis Lawrence, Cyd Gray, Marvin Andrews, Brent Sancho, Ian Cox, Atiba Charles, Avery John, Silvio Spann, Chris Birchall, Aurtis Whitley, Anthony Rougier, Anthony Wolfe, Densill Theobald, Carlos Edwards, Dwight Yorke, Russell Latapy, Stern John, Kenwyne Jones, Collin Samuel, Jason Scotland, Cornell Glen.

 

Waiting game

London: Alan Curbishley, the Charlton Athletic manager, has again called for a decision on the next England manager to be made soon. Curbishley is in the frame to succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson when the Swede steps down after the summer’s World Cup, but he admits he is not happy with the continuing speculation.

Curbishley said in a television interview: “They need to so something probably the sooner the better. “There is a lot of uncertainty and that is not right. The so-called people in the frame have all got jobs to do.”