Francesco Totti has been banned from four Italian Cup matches for kicking Inter's Mario Balotelli in the back of the thigh during last week's Italian Cup final. With no more Italian Cup games this season, the league's decision Monday effectively bans the AS Roma captain from participating in the first four matches of the event next season. Balotelli and his teammate Christian Chivu were also disqualified for one Italian Cup match for protesting with officials during the same match. Rooney, Barry headache England coach Fabio Capello is anxious to receive news of Wayne Rooney's latest injury problem, one day before he has to send his provisional World Cup squad to FIFA. Rooney limped off the field towards the end of Manchester United's final Premier League game against Stoke Sunday. Manager Alex Ferguson said it was a recurrence of the groin injury the striker hurt in training on April 22. Gareth Barry has been ruled out for three more weeks with ankle trouble, meaning he will miss World Cup warmup games against Mexico and Japan and training camps at altitude in Austria. Capello has to cut his provisional squad of 30 to a final 23 players for the World Cup by June 1. Manchester United assistant-boss Mike Phelan has, however, said Rooney will be fit in time to play a full part in England's World Cup campaign. ‘Red Knights' say won't overpay for Utd Wealthy supporters seeking to buy English soccer club Manchester United said they would not overpay, after a source close to the matter said the club last year rejected a bid for 1.5 billion pounds ($2.3 billion). “We have had productive conversations with potential investors in recent weeks which have reinforced our belief that it is wrong to offer above fair value, particularly given the urgent need for the club to reduce debt,” the Red Knights, a group including former Football League chairman Keith Harris and Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill, said in a statement. “That fair value is likely to be reducing over time given headwinds facing the game of football.” The statement is likely to dampen earlier media speculation the Red Knights might offer over 1 billion pounds for the world's third wealthiest soccer club behind Spain's Real and Barcelona.
