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Glen Johnson has insisted England will not be losing any sleep over the threat posed by Gareth Bale when they take on Wales in Euro 2012 qualifying at the weekend and says the squad are united under reinstalled skipper John Terry.

England are sat in second in their qualifying group behind Montenegro and travel to Wales on Saturday. Gary Speed’s side are without a point to their name, but have one of Europe’s finest players in their ranks in the guise of Bale. The Tottenham man was in sizzling form prior to picking up a back injury, but is back to fitness now and will carry a threat at the Millennium Stadium.

Liverpool defender Johnson will not take Bale lightly, but insists England are focused on their own game rather than that of the opposition.

“He has been playing really well this season and tearing teams apart,” Johnson told Sky Sports News. “Hopefully he won’t be doing that. He is obviously a good player, but we will be preparing right and concentrating on ourselves.”

John Terry will lead out the team after being handed the captaincy by Fabio Capello. The move to replace the injured Rio Ferdinand with Terry, who was stripped of the captaincy last season, has been a controversial one but Johnson feels it will not divide the squad.

“What has gone on has nothing to do with anybody,” Johnson said. “John Terry has been a fantastic captain for Chelsea and with England so I am sure he will do a fantastic job.

“Obviously Rio will be upset to lose the armband. But he is a big man and will pick himself up. The squad is professional and everyone goes about their job the right way and I am sure everything will be fine.”

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Harry Redknapp says the poor form of Chelsea and Arsenal means they are “handing the title” to a Manchester United team he rates as one of the worst in recent times.

United extended their lead at the top of the table to five points on Saturday as Arsenal had to battle back from 2-0 down to draw with West Brom, and although Chelsea have improved, they are still nine points behind Sir Alex Ferguson’s side with a game in hand.

The current leaders have not impressed with regularity this season, winning only four of 15 away games, and Tottenham boss Redknapp believes they could win their 19th league title virtually by default.

“Really we are handing the title to Manchester United this year,” Redknapp said. “This is as poor as Manchester United have played in years, but they keep stumbling along and nicking results when they should have got done.

“Chelsea have blown up, Arsenal too – it is there for somebody this year to win the championship.”

Though Tottenham’s recent poor form means they have fallen to fifth place and are now struggling to ensure their qualification for the Champions League, Redknapp believes two high-profile signings could ensure the North Londoners are in title contention for next season.

“I don’t think the other big clubs have got anything that Spurs don’t have,” he said. “People might think I’m mad to be aiming to win the league but I think it is possible.

“But if I do win one it will be a bit of a miracle, won’t it? I think if I did then I’d probably retire. But I do think it is possible. If we can go and get a couple of Luka Modrics, people like that. We’ve got to believe we can achieve anything here.”

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Lionel Messi and Jose Mourinho are the richest men in football according to France Football magazine survey.

Barcelona forward Messi, the two-time World Player of the Year, brought home €31 million from his salary and publicity deals in 2011, just ahead of Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo (€27.5 million) and Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney (€20.7 million).

Real Madrid manager Mourinho topped the manager’s rich list with an income of €13.5 million, ahead of Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola (€10.5 million) and former Inter Milan coach Rafael Benitez (€10.2 million). England manager Fabio Capello came fourth with the Italian receiving a salary of €8.5 million.

The English Premier League appears the most lucrative league of all with seven representatives in the top 20 list of highest paid players.

Two former Premier League stars, David Beckham and Thierry Henry, now playing in the MLS in the United States, are ranked fifth and 11 with salaries of €19 million and €13.6 million respectively.

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Bolton Wanderers midfielder Stuart Holden has been ruled out for six months as a result of the injury he sustained in a challenge on Saturday.

Holden was rushed to hospital following a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United as a tackle from Jonny Evans, which drew a red card, left him with a nasty gash on his right knee.

He was given 26 stitches to close the wound and X-rays confirmed Holden had avoided a break, but he also underwent an MRI scan to discover if he had suffered any ligament or muscular damage to his knee.

Bolton have now said the midfielder, who had a prolonged spell on the sidelines last season following a tackle from Manchester City’s Nigel de Jong, will be out for six months, meaning he misses United States’ Gold Cup campaign in June.

Holden will undergo surgery in London on Monday and manager Owen Coyle told the club’s official website: “First and foremost our main concern is for Stuart and his recovery. He will get all the time and support that he needs.

“Stuart has been outstanding for me this season and he has shown in his performances that he is one of the best midfielders in the Barclays Premier League. He has such desire, strength of character and a winning mentality, and he will draw on all those attributes in his rehabilitation.”

Holden wrote on his Twitter account: “I can promise you all I will come back stronger and better than before. Have had bad luck in the past and will continue to beat it.”

He also refused to blame Evans for the incident, writing: “Just had sincere phone call from Jonny Evans wishing me best in recovery, def wasn’t intentional just unfortunate part of game”.

Prior to the news of Holden’s lengthy absence, defender Gary Cahill absolved United defender Evans of any blame for the tackle which resulted in his dismissal at Old Trafford.

“It would be a massive blow but it looked like a really bad gash, and I hope that’s all it is, for the team’s sake,” Cahill told the Bolton News. “Maybe the international break might have come at the right time for him, in a recovery sense. Touch wood he isn’t out.

“From where I was stood, he had his studs up, but no-one goes into a challenge looking to hurt someone, or at least you’d hope not.

“Nobody goes into a tackle thinking ‘I’m going to do him here’ and I think Evans just went for the ball and had his studs up a little bit. It was unfortunate in all circumstances, and Stu has come off worse.”

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Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has claimed that Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli has asked for his help to keep him out of trouble, while the striker’s agent has pointed the finger at the English media for creating ‘drama’.

Balotelli, 20, has made headlines since arriving in the Premier League for his behaviour and was sent off in a Europa League tie against Dynamo Kiev last week.

The striker was not called up by Prandelli for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Slovenia after the Italian FA implemented a code of ethics outlawing unsporting conduct, but the manager admitted he has been impressed by the youngster’s attitude.

“I have heard from Balotelli,” said Prandelli. “He understands that he made a fool of himself. He said to me: ‘I need help. I always ruin everything but I care a lot about the national team’.”

Prandelli maintained that he could call up Balotelli for the friendly against Ukraine on March 29, while the player’s agent Mino Raiola played down reports that he has fallen out with City boss Roberto Mancini.

“It’s an unfortunate time for Mario,” Raiola told Sky Sport 24. “It’s not a happy spell, but he’ll come out of it stronger than before.

“Nevertheless, there are no problems with his club or with coach Roberto Mancini. A part of the English media, the part I don’t respect that much, does everything it can to create drama.

“Prandelli and Mario have spoken, it was a positive conversation and their relationship is an excellent one. The boy is disappointed with his dismissal and the fact that he’s not been selected for Italy as a result.”

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