Hannover, Germany  - Hannover 96 and VfL Bochum will

Munich - Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski will not travel with the team to Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday but will join up with the Germany squad to face England on Wednesday.

Podolski has not recovered in time from a back injury and will instead put in an extra training session in Munich, coach Juergen Klinsmann said Friday.

Podolski will join the Germany squad on Sunday, and national team coach Joachim Loew "will decide in what shape he is in to play against England" in Berlin on Wednesday, Klinsmann said.

London, Nov. 14 : Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand has backed the Football Association’s crackdown on drug cheats.

Ferdinand, who was banned for eight months in 2003 for missing a dope test, said: “I think it sounds fair. If it brings us up to the level of all the other sportsmen then I’m in favour. It’s good.”

“We get tested quite a lot anyway. A lot of players get tested three or four times a season so it would be no different to what we’re used to,” The Sun quoted him as saying.

Milan - A ruthless and solid Juventus hammered Genoa 4-1 Thursday to temporarily go top in the Italian Serie A ahead of the weekend games.

The Turin side moved onto 24 points, drawing level with champions Inter Milan, who are away Saturday at Palermo.

Czech defender Zdenek Grygera opened the scoring before Genoa came close on two occasions, but Juve doubled up before the break through a header from Brazilian Amauri.

Milan - Struggling giants Roma play an unusual minnow role in Sunday's derby against buoyant city rivals Lazio, who sit far above them in the Serie A standings.

Lazio, lying fourth on 22 points from 11 games, are just two points behind leading champions Inter Milan and go into the game at the Stadio Olimpico boasting an impressive record of 21 goals notched mostly by strikers Mauro Zarate and Goran Pandev.