Football: Knee injury rules out Ince
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Your support makes all the difference.LIVERPOOL WERE dealt a blow on the eve of their European campaign with their captain, Paul Ince, ruled out of tonight's Uefa Cup first round first leg game at the Slovakian champions, Kosice.
The Merseysiders flew out from Liverpool airport without their influential midfielder, who has been sent to specialists for a precautionary scan on a knee ligament injury.
However, the Liverpool co-manager Roy Evans has virtually admitted that Robbie Fowler will be involved. The striker's long fitness fight has been cloaked in secrecy but Fowler travelled with the squad and Evans said: "He's in the squad of 20 and I can name seven substitutes. He's got a good chance of being in that group."
But for Ince the news was not so good. He has been carrying an injury for some time but damaged it further in the 2-1 defeat at his old club, West Ham, on Saturday. It is the last thing that managerial duo of Evans and Gerard Houllier wanted after Liverpool lost their unbeaten record this season at Upton Park. Steve Harkness is standing by.
Ince's England squad colleague Steve McManaman is likely to make the match against Kosice when Liverpool embark on their European adventure tonight, despite having been troubled by an Achilles injury for several weeks.
Liverpool expect to have Fowler on the bench for his first senior game since damaging cruciate knee ligaments in February. He has hit nine goals in four warm-up games, including a double hat-trick against a Wrexham XI last week.
Meanwhile, the Liverpool striker Sean Dundee has turned his back on the chance to join the French team, Auxerre. Dundee has yet to play for Liverpool's first team after a pounds 2m move to Anfield from Germany's Karlsruhe in the summer.
Leeds United, who entertain the Portuguese side Maritimo, also in the Uefa Cup, tonight, will step up their interest in taking David Batty back to Elland Road if Newcastle United decide to sell their England midfielder.
The Leeds chairman, Peter Ridsdale, said yesterday: "Batty is a player our manager George Graham admires. If George came to us and said he wanted him we would do our best to get him."
Batty's return to Leeds would prove popular with the club's fans who protested strongly when he was sold to Blackburn Rovers in October 1993 for pounds 2.75m.
Another player on the way to Elland Road is the Portuguese goalkeeper Nuno Santos. Santos plays for Vitoria Setubal and was in the national Under-21 side a couple of years ago. However, his contract is up and he wants to come to England.
Graham needs Nuno Santos to compete with Nigel Martyn because Mark Beeney is out for several months with an Achilles tendon injury. The player is expected to complete the deal today.
Graham, who led Arsenal to CupWinners' Cup success in 1994, is confident his players will respond positively to European football. "I like pitting my wits against the European coaches and facing teams who are better than you. It gives me a buzz," he admitted.
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