Harry Findlay has admitted Denman’s task of beating favourite Kauto Star (4/6 ante-post) in the Gold Cup will be even more difficult if, as expected, the going is declared good for the Festival next week.

Denman’s chances have been hit by the good weather forecast for Cheltenham and his price has generally drifted slightly in the market in recent days (9/2 currently with totesport).

Findlay says the horse is still in good shape but conceded the going looks set to go against him.

“The Tank (Denman) is fine. It will be harder on good ground but not impossible,” he said.

Meanwhile. Findlay also says his Coral Cup favourite Beshabar (9/1 ante-post) is unlikely to run next week unless there is “genuine soft” in the ground.

Beshabar is in superb form, winning on his last two starts at Sandown and Ascot, but he is a major doubt at this stage for next Wednesday’s race.

“He won’t run unless there is genuine soft in the ground,” said Findlay.

“He’ll run next year in the RSA on soft ground and we’ll all be lumping on.

“Paul Nicholls, to be fair, has done a great job with him because he had a year out.

“He left him short at Chepstow but he looked like a fish out of water when he won at Ascot over two and a half miles and I don’t want to ask him to go for the Coral Cup on good ground so we’ll wait for the novice chases next year,” he added.

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Wayne Rooney looks set to feature for Manchester United in their huge Champions League showdown on Wednesday against AC Milan after coming through a training session on Tuesday (United 8/13, Milan 9/2 the draw 11/4 match odds).

The in-form striker was rated as doubtful for the last-16 second-leg clash and missed United’s 1-0 win at Wolves on Saturday due to his knee injury.

However, he did train with the rest of the United squad at Carrington ahead of the much-anticipated Old Trafford game and looks like being fit to start against Leonardo’s side (United 11/2 Champions League outright winners).

Ryan Giggs, however, is not expected to play in the game, which United hold a slender 3-2 advantage from the first leg, despite training after having a plate removed from the arm he broke at Aston Villa recently.

Michael Carrick is suspended for the second leg following his late dismissal in the San Siro, so Darren Fletcher is in line to return to the starting line-up as boss Sir Alex Ferguson ponders his options.

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Lock Simon Shaw has been ruled out of England’s Calcutta Cup match with Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday with a shoulder injury as Martin Johnson’s men look to keep their Six Nations hopes alive (England 20/1 Six Nations Outright).

The 36-year-old Wasps star suffered the injury during the 20-16 Six Nations defeat by Ireland at Twickenham on 27 February and he was replaced in that game by Leicester lock Louis Deacon, who is favourite to start against the struggling Scots (Scotland 4/6 Wooden Spoon) .

Tom Palmer has been called into the squad as an injury replacement for Shaw, while there is also a call-up for Gloucester centre Mike Tindall.

Meanwhile England are still awaiting news on the fitness of full-back Delon Armitage, who has a rib cartilage injury.

“Delon’s rib injury is difficult to call when he will be fit,” said Johnson.

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Arsene Wenger has confirmed Cesc Fabregas will not play when Arsenal take on Porto in the Champions League (Arsenal 4/7, Porto 4/1, draw 13/5 90 Minutes) on Tuesday evening.

The Gunners boss had hoped the Spanish star would be able to feature in the game as his side aim to overturn a 2-1 first leg deficit at the Emirates Stadium.

However Wenger revealed that the recurrence of the hamstring injury which Fabregas picked up against Burnley on Saturday will keep him out against the Portuguese side as he does not want to risk making the problem worse for the Premier League (Arsenal 13/5 Premier League Outright) push.

“Cesc has a hamstring problem and we could not even take a gamble with him,” said Wenger. “I was hoping he would recover after the Burnley game because we were cautious with him.

“We don’t know how long he will be out. He is having a scan today and we are convinced it will only be a small time, and he has a small chance of getting back for next weekend against Hull, but to play him again would mean significant damage.”

Meanwhile Alex Song is available after serving a two-match ban while midfield duo Andrey Arshavin and Abou Diaby, who came off the bench at the weekend, could start.

William Gallas is again expected to miss out with a calf injury.

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Wigan teenager Victor Moses is closing in on his first start for Latics for the DW Stadium clash with Liverpool on Wednesday evening.

The Reds continue their pursuit of fourth place in the Premier League later and could be boosted by the availability of Glen Johnson who has been out since the end of last year with a knee problem (Wigan 9/2, draw 11/4, Liverpool 8/13).

But the excitement among home supporters will focus on January arrival Moses, the highly-rated forward who made the switch to Wigan from cash-strapped Crystal Palace.

Moses has yet to start a match for his new club but after impressing as a substitute it is thought boss Roberto Martinez will give him his chance against Liverpool.

Midfielder Charles N’Zogbia faces a late fitness test on a knee injury while midfielder Paul Scharner is also a doubt with a groin problem, although both are expected to be passed.

If Scharner and N’Zogbia make it then Wigan will have a virtually fully-fit squad to chose from, with just Ivorian defender Steve Gohouri ruled out with a back problem.

Liverpool should have centre-half Daniel Agger available after he picked up a knee problem last weekend while Ryan Babel and Alberto Aquilani – who cost over £32m between them - will probably have to make do with a place on the bench.

England captain Rio Ferdinand claims the World Cup (Three Lions 5/2 Top European Team) will take care of itself as he instead focuses on the remainder of Manchester United’s season.

The central defender is trying to regain top form after another injury lay-off and missed the Three Lions’ win over Egypt last week.

Ferdinand played against Wolves on Saturday after also sitting out the Carling Cup final win over Aston Villa and should take his place in the side again for the crunch Champions League clash with AC Milan at Old Trafford on Wednesday night (United 1/12 To Qualify).

And the 31-year-old says he has enough on his plate without worrying about England’s campaign in South Africa this summer.

He said: “I’m not thinking about the World Cup at all. I think about playing for Manchester United.

“My football is here at the moment. And everything else will click into place if I’m playing at United. That’s the only way I look at it.”

Ferdinand was promoted to the captaincy after coach Fabio Capello sacked John Terry following his off-field problems.

England kick off their World Cup campaign against USA on June 12.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is worried relegation-threatened Wigan may try rough-house tactics against his Premier League top-four chasers at the DW Stadium on Monday (Wigan 9/2 draw 11/4 Liverpool 8/13 match betting).

The Spaniard is convinced the number of injuries picked up by players in the Premier League is proof that the English game is the most physical and is worried referees are under too much pressure to make the right decisions.

Latics are just three points above third-from-bottom Hull and in danger of being sucked into the relegation zone (Wigan 7/2 To Be Relegated).

Liverpool will take fourth spot if they come away with victory but Benitez has warned his players to expect a difficult night.

“The Premier League is always physical and they will want to keep going in this way,” he said. “It depends on the referees in the end. We have to analyse this carefully because it’s true we have too many serious injuries.”

He added: “I am a little bit worried about this, but there are people at the top who have to decide and to analyse what is best for the game.”

England right-back Glen Johnson, who has been out since the end of December because of a knee injury, could make his return.

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Eddie Harty has described his 3/1 market leader Captain Cee Bee as “the best one in” for the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival.

The talented nine-year-old won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle two years ago but missed the Festival last year because of injury.

He will cross swords again with great rival Sizing Europe for the two-mile novices’ championship but Harty has stressed he would not swap his charge for any of the other dangers.

Long Run, Somersby and Riverside Theatre (9/1 ante-post) are also expected to run big races but Harty is convinced Captain Cee Bee is the one they all have to beat.

“I think he’s probably the best one in it but it’s racing and it’s competition and that’s what it is all about,” said the trainer.

He added on At The Races: “I thought Somersby was quite impressive at Sandown, he jumped well. Riverside Theatre was impressive at Kempton at Christmas but I wouldn’t swap my horse for any of them in it.”

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Stoke manager Tony Pulis is confident his side can reach the FA Cup semi-finals by defying the odds and beating Chelsea (1/4 to beat Stoke in the 90 minute betting) at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Potters head west London as the 9/1 underdogs to overcome the Blues in the cup despite having already beaten Manchester City and Arsenal on their way to the quarter-finals.

Pulis’ side (18/1 to win the FA Cup) have already upset the odds this season by dumping City out of the cup, securing a draw at Eastlands before winning 3-1 in extra time in the replay.

A similar result on Sunday would more than likely please the Stoke supporters as they look to inflict a second straight home defeat on Chelsea after their defeat to Man City last Saturday.

Pulis is already looking forward to another high-profile scalp as he believes the title of underdogs will suit his team.

“We go there as rank underdogs and no-one will give us a chance. It is going to be a tough game and we’ve played some tough games over the last couple of weeks,” said Pulis.

“But we’ll go down there, try to enjoy it and do the best we can because it is 38 years since this club was in an FA Cup quarter-final.

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Leicester Tiger head coach Richard Cockerill believes Toby Flood should be fit for England’s vital Six Nations clash against Scotland (4/6 to receive the Wooden Spoon) next weekend.

England coach Martin Johnson already has injury concerns over Delon Armitage and Simon Shaw heading into the Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield and the last thing he will want is another player facing a race against time to be fit for the crunch game.

Stand-off Flood left the field just after half-time in the Tigers 35-19 Guinness Premiership victory over London Irish having suffered a blow to head in the early exchanges of the game.

Cockerill has now moved to reassure all England (20/1 to win the Six Nations) supporters that Flood will be fit for the clash against the Scots and claims taking him off was just a precautionary measure.

“He was a little dazed but nothing serious. He had it early in the game and we looked at him at half-time, he was a bit hazy in his vision so we decided to bring him off early in the second half,” Cockerill said.

“He will be fine (for Murrayfield). It was a physical game in lots of ways, it’s a precaution and we are looking after him.”

Saturday’s victory for Leicester saw them extend their lead at the top of the Premiership with Northampton hopeful of making up some ground on Sunday by beating out-of-form Sale (11/8 to win in the 80 minute betting).

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