Arsene Wenger admitted he has over-played Jack Wilshere after he was ruled out of England's World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro.

England's tyro is already out of Arsenal's Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, but injuries to both ankles will create another headache for England's head coach Roy Hodgson.

Hodgson will be without Wilshere for the World Cup qualifiers and has concerns over form and fitness of a number of senior players before Thursday's squad announcement.

Missing man: Wilshere has been ruled out of Arsenal's clash with Bayern Munich through injury

England's medical staff, including physio Gary Lewin, have been kept informed about Wilshere's progress, but he will not be considered for the squad.

England meet on Monday at St George's Park to prepare for the away game against San Marino on Friday, but Wilshere has been told he doesn't need to report.

Wilshere has damaged his ankles, with indications that he could cause another stress fracture to the bone which kept him out for 17 months.

Wenger also revealed that the club are so sensitive about Wilshere's ankles that the midfielder has a scan each month to check their condition.

The Arsenal manager said: 'Maybe I overplayed him, but only in the last two games. It's difficult to rest him because he's a winner and when I ask how he feels, he says "perfect". We do a regular scan and it showed bone bruising on the heel of his right foot.

'He had some inflammation where he had the surgery and he has been compensating to protect his left ankle. Every month he has scans on both ankles, but he feels no pain.

'The last time we let him carry on and it turned into a stress fracture, which is why the specialist said we cannot take this gamble.'

Wilshere showed signs of frustration during Arsenal's 3-1 defeat against Bayern in the first leg of their Champions League clash at the Emirates. He played the following weekend against Aston Villa, but looked off the pace when his side were beaten by Spurs at White Hart Lane.

Setback: Wilshere could be out for a few weeks, which would be a huge blow to club and country

Wenger added: 'Maybe this is a good learning process for us. Maybe after 20 games, to give him a breather of one or two games and then come back will be good.'

Wilshere, who has made 22 starts and two appearances off the bench this season, is not expected to play for three to four weeks.

The 21-year-old returned to the national team as a substitute in the 4-2 defeat by Sweden last November following a 17-month injury lay-off.

The midfielder, in Dubai recovering from his latest setback, was one of England's best players in last month's win over Brazil at Wembley.

Opening: Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard could feature for England in place of the injured Wilshere

Hodgson was aware of Wilshere's injury when he held a coaches' meeting with Gary Neville and England's assistant manager Ray Lewington on Monday.

The absence of the Arsenal star will open the door for Frank Lampard, who scored the winner against Brazil last month, to start with Steven Gerrard.

Gareth Barry, who has not played for England since the 1-0 victory against Norway in May 2012, may be recalled too with Scott Parker another option.

Hodgson has other issues to address, notably in defence as he considers whether to pick Rio Ferdinand for the first time since he took the job.

Decision: Rio Ferdinand could be drafted into the England squad for the first time under Roy Hodgson

Although the qualifier against San Marino a week on Friday is straightforward, the England manager is worried about Montenegro's attacking threat.

They boast Juventus striker Mirko Vucinic, who has scored 13 goals in 31 appearances for his country, for the game in the Montenegrin capital Podgorica on March 26.

There are serious concerns over the form of Gary Cahill, particularly after Hodgson watched him play for Chelsea in the 2-2 draw at Manchester United in Sunday's FA Cup tie.

Chris Smalling, who started alongside Cahill against Brazil in February, only returned from injury on Monday to play a full 90 minutes in United's Under 21 game against Wolves.

Luis Suarez joined the Liverpool Ladies side for training yesterday as they prepare for the start of the new season.

Manager Matt Beard has overhauled his squad in a bid to challenge at the top of the Women's Super League.

He swapped notes with counterpart Brendan Rodgers as the likes of Gemma Bonner and Natasha Dowie trained with Suarez and his team-mates.

Change of scenery: Luis Suarez trains with the Liverpool Ladies ahead of their opening game of the season

The ladies play their first competitive game - an FA Cup clash with Aston Vila - at 2pm on Sunday in Sutton Coldfield before a derby clash with Everton in the WSL Continental Cup, when Dowie and Fara Williams will face their old club for the first time

Other new faces brought in by Beard include Whitney Engen, Icelandic international Katrin Ómarsdóttir and Bonner from Chelsea Ladies.

Meanwhile, Liverpool defender Jose Enrique believes striker Suarez performs the same role for the Reds as Lionel Messi does for Barcelona in being the go-to guy in times of trouble.

The Spaniard has developed a good understanding with the 29-goal striker and provided another assist for the Barclays Premier League's leading scorer against Tottenham on Sunday.

Exchanging notes: Matt Beard (left) and Brendan Rodgers watch on with Steven Gerrard

And he likened Suarez's influence on Liverpool with that of Messi's for Barcelona.

'If you are good players you understand each other,' said the defender, who is enjoying a good run of form since returning as first-choice left-back, after it had appeared his Anfield future was in doubt during the first half of the season.

'It is really easy to understand with him. He is our best player and he can do something from nothing.

'It's like at Barcelona - the first player they look for when the game is in a bad situation is Messi because you know he can do something.

All in: Martin Skrtel and Jordan Henderson also took part in the training session

'Luis is the same - I look for him because I know he can do something different and we understand each other.'

Enrique sees similarities with the bond he struck with Suarez's fellow Uruguayan, Diego Forlan, when the two played together at Villarreal.

He added: 'When I was at Villarreal with Forlan I linked up really well with him as well.

'In the game all the time the first person I look for is him (Suarez) and he always makes a movement and I try to put the ball there and he does the rest.'

The victory over Spurs was seen as something of a watershed moment in terms of the side overcoming a perceived mental block in regards to recovering losing positions.

Their 3-2 win over their third-placed opponents was only the second time this season Rodgers' team had come from behind to win in a league game.

And when Spurs took a 2-1 lead at Anfield, Enrique admits their previous poor record had him thinking a victory was unlikely.

'In the first half they killed us a little bit because they scored in the last minute,' he said.

Raring to go: The ladies side face Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Sunday

'It was a little bit bad at that point but the manager said some words in the dressing room to lift us.

'They scored again in the second half and, to be honest, I didn't think we would win the game.

'The statistics speak for themselves - of course you want to win and we will try but for our mentality we don't have good experiences of this type when we are losing.

'But the team worked very hard and this is the important thing because when the team stick together you can see the results and the character from the team was really good.'

The word of the night was remontada. It means comeback. And this was the madre of all remontadas. If there was any doubt about the team to beat in this season’s Champions League, Barcelona reconfirmed the identity of Europe’s most potent force.

Both a club and a player. We are watching a genius. You do know that, don’t you? In Lionel Messi, Barcelona have a player as great as any to have walked the earth. Up there with Pele, with Diego  Maradona, with Johan Cruyff or Zinedine Zidane.

It no longer matters that he has the good fortune to play in a magnificent team. What he does on nights like this transcends such petty quibbles. These were his 52nd and 53rd goals of the season. It is simply untrue to suggest that any player of talent would score them, surrounded by these exceptional team-mates.

Magical: Lionel Messi celebrates after vanquishing Milan's first-leg advantage

Ecstasy: Gerard Pique roars with delight after Messi's second put the teams level on aggregate

Messi is a phenomenon, a class apart, he defines matches like no other contemporary, not even the mighty Cristiano Ronaldo.

Barcelona had to win by more than two goals to progress here and Messi had the match won within the space of 10 minutes.

The start that Barca made, with his inspiration, was so startlingly good Milan never recovered. Messi had his team a goal ahead after five minutes before adding another on 40, but  Barcelona’s dominance was almost total in the moments between.

He shocked Milan with his brilliance, baffled them with his imagination, punished them with the precision of his finishing. It was one of the greatest performances in the history of this competition.

The game had barely taken shape when Messi stamped his mark on it. He played a 1-2 with Xavi Hernandez that somehow charted a path through the six — yes, six — Milan players who had surrounded the pair, before finishing with a left-foot shot so perfect in its placing that goalkeeper Christian Abbiati remained on his spot, flat-footed.

The second was no less clinical. Milan captain Massimo Ambrosini lost the ball to Andres Iniesta, who sent the ball through to Messi. He in turn threaded his shot through the legs of Philippe Mexes and out of Abbiati’s despairing grasp.

No hand for Messi in the decisive third but make no mistake, this was his victory throughout.

Milan looked so intimidated by his presence, so vulnerable to his wit that, having softened them up, Messi could afford to take a back seat just once.

Poise: Messi bent the ball home from the edge of the box to get the scoring underway

Great start: Before long Barcelona, thanks to Messi, had wiped out Milan's first leg advantage

Quarter finalists

Barcelona
Borussia Dortmund
Galatasaray
Juventus
Paris Saint-Germain
Real Madrid
Bayern Munich or Arsenal
Malaga or Porto

As it was, Javier Mascherano won the ball in the heart of the pitch, found Iniesta, who found Xavi and eventually David Villa — his finish as exquisitely placed as Messi’s in the first half. It doesn’t happen by accident, this stuff.

Just like the harrying and chasing that so unsettled Milan, the lightning speed with which Barcelona recovered possession, when it goes right, every painstaking minute on the training ground can be seen in Barcelona’s play. The goal that gave the scoreline air was straight from the textbook.

Snuffing out a Milan threat, then breaking quickly, with purpose. No taking the ball into the corner flag to waste precious seconds here; they hit Milan where it hurts: in the net. At this point, a Milan goal would have been fatal and deafening whistles and catcalls greeted every second of possession by  Massimiliano Allegri’s side.

They won a free-kick some 40 yards from goal which Robinho and Sulley Muntari contrived to mess up, losing possession. Milan broke. Messi played in Alexis Sanchez whose cross found overlapping left back Jordi Alba.

Under siege: Abbiati pummels the ball away as Barcelona turned up the pressure

Crowd scene: Messi is surrounded by Milan players but still manages to find a way to score

At the double: Messi's second goal squeezes past Abbiati's outstretched left arm

The remontada was complete. It had been a horrid and sobering experience for Milan, whose fans were hushed in their Nou Camp eyrie. A member of Europe’s traditional elite, they will have hated being so publicly mastered.

The way Barcelona began the match was, quite literally, stunning. Neutrals who had been so impressed with Milan in the first leg were stunned. Milan were stunned. Even the home support, whipped into a frenzy of noise and excitement, seemed unusually affected by the ferocity with which their team attacked the game.

Good Italian teams are always strong defensively. Barcelona’s nil in the San Siro was as important as Milan’s two.

Since the European Cup was reimagined as the Champions League, no team have qualified in the knockout stage having trailed 2-0 from the first leg; 3-1, yes, Barcelona themselves did it against Dynamo Kiev in 1994.

The absence of an away goal, though, is considered a mortal blow. Every time Milan had possession, the fear inside Nou Camp was palpable. They jeered to cover their tension until Barcelona regained possession. Mostly, they didn’t have to wait long.

As clinical as Barcelona were, snapping and fizzing passes like flippers and rebounds on a pinball machine, so Milan were loose and rattled. Their game plan to half-court press, let Barcelona have the ball deep, regroup in their own territory and thicken midfield and the central areas, was horribly exposed early on by the Catalans decision to spread play wide.

Pulling the strings: Xavi (left) was at his influential best as Barcelona dominated possession

 

Shackled... or not: Milan tried to keep Messi under wraps but failed miserably

Easy does it: Villa steers home the third with panache

They did it as the best teams often do, go outside to work a way back in. Milan were stretched by the tactic and by Barcelona’s 3-4-3 formation. The pride they felt in limiting the best footballers in the world at the San Siro soon evaporated along with their confidence. The defence was tortured, particularly right back Ignazio Abate.

He appeared fortunate not to be judged more harshly for a challenge on Pedro Rodriguez in the penalty area with the score already 1-0. Soon after, a panicked pass back to goalkeeper Abbiati almost let Villa in for Barcelona’s second.

Abbiati chased from goal and missed his kick completely, but luckily so did Villa. The ball trundled across the penalty area to safety.

In Abbiati’s defence, most goalkeepers would have been a little flustered by then.

He had already been forced to make an excellent save, tipping an Iniesta shot on to the bar. Another effort, low from Xavi in the 17th minute, was tipped around the far post for a corner.

 

Watching on: Jordi Roura takes care of Barcelona in the absence of Tito Vilanova

In tatters: Abbiati rages as Villa and Co celebrate their third goal of the night

 

Perfect show: Villa celebrates in front of Barcelona's delighted fans after his superbly taken goal

Of course, it could have been very different for Milan had their best opportunity been converted a minute before Barcelona scored their second.

The gamble of the night was to relegate Barcelona’s own captain, leader, legend Carles Puyol to the bench behind the diminutive Mascherano, whose pace was preferred against Milan’s strikers.

The flaw in this thinking was exposed on 38 minutes when Mascherano could not get the height required to clear a harmless-looking through-ball, instead glancing it on to Milan forward M’Baye Niang, who was left 40 yards from goal with only Victor Valdes in his eyeline.

The problem being that 40 yards is quite a distance over which to think about scoring the goal that could decide the tie and Niang missed the target, watching in anguish as his shot struck a post.

He held his head in his hands. When he finally lifted it again, it was only to see Barcelona score.

Spotted: Ronnie Wood (of Rolling Stones fame) was seen in the crowd with wife Sally

 

We're a team! Barcelona fans' message of unity for their players ahead of the clash

Daily Mail

Bayern Munich and Germany captain Philipp Lahm believes that the Premier League is no longer the dominant force in Europe.

If, as is widely expected, Arsenal are knocked out by Bayern tonight, there will be no English club in the last eight of the Champions League for the first time since 1996.

The Premier League has had at least one team in every final but one from 2005 to 2012, but full back Lahm believes there is a wider shift of power in full swing.

'It is a surprise to have no English teams in the quarter-finals,' he said.

Shift in power: Philipp Lahm sees no reason why the Premier League remains stronger than the Bundesliga

'They have a strong league and have gone far in the past but a lot of teams have caught up. We are here, (Bundesliga rivals Borussia) Dortmund are here.'

As was the case last season, two of the Premier League's four Champions League representatives - Chelsea and Manchester City - were eliminated at the tournament's group stage.

Bayern will join Dortmund in the quarter-finals if they hold on to their 3-1 first leg lead over Arsenal, and 29-year-old Lahm feels the Gunners - former Champions League finalists - are not the force they once were.

He said: 'I'd say [Arsenal] are one of the better teams in Europe but right at the top level? I don't think so.'

Contemplating Arsenal: Lahm and his team-mates prepare for tonight's fixture in training

Daily Mail

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers watched Luis Suarez 'create havoc' in the 3-2 win over Tottenham but felt the character of the whole side pulled them through.

Suarez opened the scoring only for Jan Vertonghen to score twice - with both goals created by Gareth Bale - within a few minutes either side of half-time to turn the match around.

Preying on opponents: Luis Suarez (left) is proving hard to stop

However, a bizarre back-pass from Kyle Walker allowed Stewart Downing to equalise and when Suarez was fouled by Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Steven Gerrard stroked home an 82nd-minute penalty winner.

The Premier League's leading scorer Suarez took his tally to 22 in the top flight - 29 for the season - but asked whether that just made him more attractive to Europe's big clubs in the summer Rodgers said: 'Football is worldwide now so everyone has seen how good he is.

'But he is very happy among his mates here and you have seen today it doesn't matter where he plays - he was in the number 10 role and then he went in from the side he still created havoc.

Thriller: Steven Gerrard scored a late penalty as Liverpool won a dramatic match 3-2 at Anfield

 

'He knows the trust I put in him and that gives him the platform to go and perform.'

Liverpool recorded three successive league victories for the first time since May 2011 but it was as much about character as performance for the Reds boss.

'It was very important win for us,' said the Northern Irishman, whose team also beat a top-four side for the first time this season.

'We are on a great run at the moment and we knew this was going to be a severe test of our qualities and character against a team in great form.

'For us to get three points and show the character was fantastic and I am delighted for the players because they worked ever so hard.

First strike: Luis Suarez prodded the ball past the onrushing Hugo Lloris to give Liverpool the lead

On top: Suarez's goal was Liverpool's reward for a strong start at Anfield

Prolific: The Premier League's leading scorer Suarez netted his 22nd goal of the campaign

'We've been comfortable in a lot of the games and been able to control them but against a top side we came through.

'I had to make some changes in the game to get the control back in our favour and when we did that I thought we were good value for the win.'

Defeat ended Spurs' 12-match unbeaten league run - their last defeat also coming on Merseyside against Everton in December - and manager Andre Villas-Boas said it was harsh on them.

'It is difficult for us to take because we did ever so well to come back into the game in the first half and we started brightly in the second half,' he said.

Equaliser: Tottenham's pressure paid off as Jan Vertonghen headed them level just before half-time

'We lost control of the game when things looked to be going our way, which was more down to a couple of mistakes we did rather than to Liverpool's merit - although they worked very hard.'

Villas-Boas refused to blame fatigue after Thursday's 3-0 Europa League win over Inter Milan for allowing Liverpool back into the game.

'I think we looked very strong and the overall performance was excellent - it had nothing to do with tiredness,' he added.

Deserved: Tottenham had been in the ascendancy prior to Vertonghen's equaliser

Double: Vertonghen lashed home his second goal in front of the travelling fans to put Spurs ahead

'Hopefully this setback can serve as an example to move forward.'

He praised Vertonghen after the centre-back took his tally for the season to five.

'Jan has been doing extremely well and has adapted to the country very quickly,' said the Spurs boss.

'He is a defender who scores goals and he showed exactly that quality.'

Howler: Stewart Downing took advantage of Hugo Lloris' blunder to fire home an eqauliser for Liverpool

Costly: Lloris rushed out of his box and missed his kick and Downing took advantage to score

Foul: Suarez was brought down by Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Michael Oliver awarded Liverpool a penalty

No mistake: Gerrard slotted home the penalty and sent Lloris the wrong way in front of the Kop

Delight: Gerrard missed a penalty at the Kop end against West Brom but made no mistake this time

Flying: Gerrard celebrates as Liverpool leapfrogged Everton in the table

Guest: Singer Lana Del Rey was in the stands at Anfield

Blank: Gareth Bale couldn't keep his incredible goal-scoring run going

Daily Mail

Rafael Benitez approached Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea at the end, and  congratulated him on the save of the match. A sporting gesture? A show of national solidarity? He probably just needs the friends.

Mocked by the home supporters, vilified by the travellers, Old Trafford must have felt a very lonely place for Benitez on Sunday. A goal behind after five minutes and two down six minutes later, his substitutions attracted only derision, particularly the replacement of this season’s cause celebre Frank Lampard.

That these introductions ended up changing the game, and should have led to a Chelsea victory, will give Benitez quiet satisfaction. It hardly matters now.

Top work: Rafa Benitez congratulates his men after a stunning comeback against the champions elect

Cool head: Ramires swept the ball in to the far corner to pull his side level

He is gone at the end of this campaign, even if Chelsea win the FA Cup, the Europa League and qualify for next season’s Champions League
Benitez could end up very successful and still be looking for work by mid-May.

He would never admit this, but what happens from here is as much a personal quest as any shared mission.

The counter-argument is that Benitez should have started with Eden Hazard, the inspiration for the comeback, and that John Terry’s presence at the heart of defence might have prevented at least one, if not both, Manchester United goals. We will never know.

What is plain is that Chelsea were the better team from the 52nd-minute substitutions onwards and created more in the second half than United did before half-time.

Head boy: Javier Hernandez nods home United's first goal

On its way: Everyone is fooled as Rooney's free kick finds its way in

Answering his critics: It didn't take Wayne Rooney long to find the net

De Gea’s save from Juan Mata on 90 minutes ensured a replay and prevented that rarest of beasts, an away win for a team which trailed at Old Trafford at half-time.

May 7, 1984 was the last time United lost a league match here having led at the interval, yet a three-goal Chelsea revival would not have been undeserved.

Once Benitez replaced the misfiring Victor Moses with Hazard, and brought in Mikel for Lampard, releasing Ramires, the balance of power altered.

Chelsea were rejuvenated and United seemingly on their last legs. Nothing Sir Alex Ferguson did made a difference. Robin van Persie came off the bench and was anonymous, so too Danny Welbeck.

Dejected: John Terry was forced to watch his team-mates from the bench

A Chelsea defence that had looked so vulnerable early on grew in assurance, particularly David Luiz.

Meanwhile, Hazard and Mata were linking superbly to wreak havoc on the counter-attack.

Rafael and Patrice Evra were sluggish under threat, Jonny Evans uncertain. Only Rio Ferdinand kept his composure amid Chelsea’s pressure, although he later lost it with Fernando Torres and was lucky to escape the attention of referee Howard Webb.

A game that had seemed moribund was suddenly bursting with life. It was as if a switch had been flicked. Before Hazard arrived, this was almost a training exercise for United.

They were 2-0 up, coasting, and clearly thought Chelsea offered no threat. Perhaps this was why the second-half surge hit them so hard. Until that point there had only been one team in it.

Heads we win: Manchester United's Shinji Kagawa (right) beats Cesar Azpilicueta in the air

No way through: Tom Cleverley (right) closes down Chelsea's Demba Ba

You can’t give United a two-goal lead and get away with it, is the pervading logic, although Chelsea did. The first attack of significance, a raking long ball from Michael Carrick, picked out Javier Hernandez, who had been given too much space by Gary Cahill.

This error would have been without cost, however, had Petr Cech not come bounding from his goal in a forlorn attempt to sweep up. Hernandez, judging the situation perfectly, lobbed a header into the far corner of the net.

It is often forgotten that the player who is most commonly hard done by at United is the Mexican striker, who would be a favourite son at most clubs in the Premier League — certainly Chelsea, given the problems they have had up front since Didier Drogba left.

High life: Rooney is mobbed after scoring United's second goal (above), as United striker Robin van Persie (below) watches from the bench

It soon got worse for the visitors. Moses fouled Nani wide and Wayne Rooney stood over the free-kick. After the week he has had, one almost knew the script and he did not disappoint.

He whipped the ball in, Luiz, Demba Ba and Evans missed it, and the ball flew directly into the net past a startled Cech. Chelsea looked done and United should have pressed home their advantage.

Hernandez came close at the near post from a cross by Nani, while Rooney had a shot well saved from a low ball in from Evra, which Luiz then inexplicably headed towards his goal while attempting to clear. Cech was equal to it yet again.

All square: Ramires curls home to make it 2-2

Fightback complete: Ramires celebrates with Oscar (left) after scoring the equaliser

To encapsulate Chelsea’s ineffectuality, a nice one-two between Moses and Mata ended with the Nigeria forward hitting a shot so wild it nearly found the corner flag. They looked a side low on confidence, class and the wit required to mount a revival against opposition of this quality.

What changed? Hazard changed. He came on and refused to sink into the torpor that had previously affected his team-mates. He arrived and set about a United team that may still be feeling the hangover of Champions League defeat. He took the initiative and went straight to the heart of United’s weakness this season: the defence.

Within seven minutes, Chelsea were back in the game. Mata laid the ball out to Hazard on the left, who capitalised on naivety from Rafael to cut inside and curl an exquisite shot past De Gea.

Banishing the blues: Ramires (left), Azpilicueta and Mata (right) salute the travelling army of Chelsea fans

Nine minutes later, Chelsea were level and in the ascendancy. The goal came from a counter-attack inspired by Luiz. Deployed in central defence, he grew into a good game, yet his best moments invariably put one more in mind of a defensive midfield player.

He brought the ball out from the back with urgency, finding Ba, who moved it on quickly to Oscar and then Ramires on the overlap. His shot took a little kick off the pitch, sending it beyond the reach of De Gea, who got his fingertips to the ball, but without enough firmness to keep it out.

From there, Chelsea were always likelier to score again.

Better the devil you know: Sir Alex Ferguson walks with mascot Fred the Red

They had shots from range, kept out by De Gea with varying degrees of conviction, but his stop that saved the day was outstanding.

Luiz crossed for Mata, who brought the ball down, beat Evans and then fired a low shot which De Gea just succeeding in diverting for a corner. The keeper competently gathered another late, late effort from Mata, but it his 90th-minute intervention that stood out.

Benitez did not find time for niceties with Ferguson but, with his players offering collective thanks to the travelling support, he made a point of singling out De Gea for a handshake.

He really had nowhere else to go.

He's 'armless: Javier Hernandez his held back by Chelsea's Gary Cahill

Daily Mail

Wilfried Zaha has apologised for swearing at Leeds united supporters after they gave him abuse for his impending transfer to Manchester United.

The Crystal Palace attacker was being berated by fans in Palace's 2-2 draw with Leeds on Saturday, and reponded by grinning and sticking up his middle finger.

Response: Wilfried Zaha had a message for the Leeds fans giving him stick

Top form: Zaha again showed the star quality yesterday that earned a move to Manchester United this summer

How it stands: Championship top 10

He posted on his Twitter profile: 'On that note I also wanted to apologise for the gesture I did towards the Leeds fans in yesterday's game. Very unprofessional from me.'

Red Devils fans took to Twitter to praise their new signing, saying he was 'getting into practice'.

Whether Sir Alex Ferguson would approve of this gesture is another matter entirely.

Palace fought hard and earned the draw with Leeds thanks to a late goal by Glenn Murray.

The Eagles frontman hit a brace - and so did Leeds' Steve Morison - as they shared the spoils at Selhurst Park.

Eyes on the ball: Zaha used his head to get past Leeds player Lee Peltier

Wing wizard: Zaha cuts inside to beat Leeds United's Stephen Warnock

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to give Real Madrid a 2-1 win at Celta Vigo on Sunday, lifting Jose Mourinho’s side into second place in La Liga.

Madrid had the better of the chances at Balaidos Stadium despite Mourinho making several changes to his starting team following a week featuring wins over Barcelona and Manchester United.

Celta almost snatched a dramatic late equaliser but Arsenal's on-loan striker Park Chu-Young headed onto the bar right at the death.

Opener: Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) opens the scoring in the 2-1 win against Celta Vigo

Celta started brightly but Madrid dominated for the remainder of the match, bar a flurry of late activity as the home side desperately went in search of an equaliser.

Ronaldo put his team in front in the 61st minute after the ball kindly dropped to him in the area, but Celta striker Iago Aspas leveled against the run of play just two minutes later.

The Portuguese forward converted a spot kick earned by Kaka in the 72nd for the winner for his 26th league goal of the season.

Tiger paws: Ronaldo makes a gesture to his son after scoring the winning penalty

Muted: Ronaldo refused to celebrate his match-winner against former club Manchester United last week at Old Trafford

Arsenal loanee Park Chu-Young almost grabbed a point for Celta when his header hit the bar one minute from time, but Madrid hung on for their sixth straight victory in all competitions.

Ronaldo's 26 league goals leave him some way behind the free-scoring Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, who has an incredible 40 goals from just 27 league matches this season.

Madrid now trail Barcelona by 13 points in a league title race that is all but over.

Changes: Madrid boss Jose Mourinho made five changes to the side that beat Manhcester United

Equaliser: Celta Vigo's Iago Aspas (right) scored against the run of play

Penalty: Kaka is fouled by Javi Varas

Ronaldo

Daily Mail

Sir Bobby Charlton has insisted Wayne Rooney remains a 'great player' and will stay at Manchester United next season.

The England striker, 27, has been linked with a summer move to Bayern Munich, despite Sir Alex Ferguson’s promise Rooney will remain a United player beyond the summer.

Franz Beckenbauer, honorary president of the German club, said he would be 'very, very happy if Wayne Rooney decided to come to Bayern Munich', but Charlton described the speculation as 'premature'.

He's staying: Wayne Rooney will remain at Manchester United next season, says Sir Bobby Charlton

Speaking ahead of the Laureus World Sport awards in Rio de Janeiro, Charlton said: 'Wayne Rooney has maybe had an injury and he might not perform as well as he might have done but that’s not to say you get rid of him.

'Sir Alex Ferguson said he had no intentions of letting Wayne Rooney travel to anywhere and you have to abide by that, 100 per cent. He’s a great player. Why would we get rid of a great player? I think you’re being a bit premature.'

'He's a great player': Sir Bobby Charlton (right), with Sir Alex Ferguson, says United have no intention to get rid of Rooney