Premier League notebook: FA to decide on Rooney today

Manchester United

Wayne Rooney, the Manchester United striker, will learn today whether he faces disciplinary action from the English Football Association (FA) for swearing on television while celebrating a hat-trick.

Rooney has apologised for shouting an expletive into a camera after completing a 14-minute treble that inspired his team to come from two goals down to beat West Ham United 4-2 and go seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

"Tomorrow there will be a decision," Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA director of football development, told BBC Radio yesterday. "It was a surprise, having scored a hat-trick, to react that way. It is something we will have to look at."

Rooney's behaviour, rather than his three goals, dominated the back pages in British newspapers with The Sunday Times' main headline announcing "Red Devil Turns Air Blue" and The News of the World declaring "Rood Yob".

Tottenham Hotspur

Alan Hutton needs knee surgery and will probably miss the rest of the season, the Champions League quarter-finalists said yesterday.

Spurs, who face Real Madrid in the first leg of their last-eight tie in Spain tomorrow, were without 26-year-old Hutton in Saturday's 0-0 draw at Wigan Athletic in the Premier League.

"Alan Hutton is to undergo knee surgery after scans confirmed the defender had torn his lateral meniscus," the club said on their website.

Newcastle United

Jonas Gutierrez is confident one more win will secure Newcastle's Premier League status.

The Argentina international provided the flourish with a sublime injury-time strike as his side defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-1 at St James' Park on Saturday after a run of just one win in nine league games.

That left them in ninth place with 39 points. Newcastle were relegated two seasons ago on 34 points, although the total required this season will probably be significantly higher.

Gutierrez, 27, said: "I think three points will be enough to give us another year in the Premier League. But the most important thing now is to get to 42 points."

Chelsea

Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, is targeting the Champions League after his side's slim chances of defending their domestic title virtually disappeared on Saturday.

A 1-1 draw at Stoke City left Chelsea 11 points behind league leaders Manchester United and even with a match in hand that appears too big a gap to close.

However, Chelsea face United in the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club competition on Wednesday with Ancelotti admitting that now represents their best chance of a trophy.

"It is a very important game, obviously, but I think we have to be happy to be involved in this game," the Italian said. "In the title race we have to close the gap, in the Champions League we are at the same level of the other teams, so we have more chance to win."

Liverpool

Rafa Benitez will target a job with a Premier League club if and when he returns to management.

The former Liverpool and Inter Milan head coach has had job offers since his six-month stay in Serie A ended in December, but none has yet tempted him back.

Asked on BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme about his future, the Spaniard, 50, said: "The priority is the Premier League, because the style is better for me."

He will not rush into a new job because he knows he has to choose wisely.

"You can't say we will build something and spend three, four or five years waiting for trophies," he said. "You have to find the right balance, a club that can win or try to win right now but at the same time prepare for the future."