Beckham says he's fit for England selection

David Beckham has said he is fit and ready to play for England next week despite having no competitive action since November.

New coach Fabio Capello will name his first squad on Saturday for next Wednesday's friendly against Switzerland and Beckham hopes to have the chance to win his 100th cap.

"I'm as fit as I can be. I'm fit and sharp and I'm ready to be selected," the 32-year-old former England captain, now playing for LA Galaxy, told the BBC.

Beckham has not played for Galaxy since October and his last competitive game was when he came on as a substitute for England in their 3-2 defeat by Croatia at Wembley on November 21.

However, he has been training with Arsenal and believes he is ready if selected. "I have been training with one of the fittest teams in Europe, I've done everything possible to be fit and I am without doubt ready for it, but it's out of my hands now," he said.

Newspapers have speculated this week that Capello, who left Beckham out of the Real Madrid while he was in charge of the Spanish club, might not pick the midfielder.

Benitez closes in on Mascherano deal

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez expects to sign Javier Mascherano on a permanent basis after selling Momo Sissoko to Juventus on Tuesday.

Benitez is keen to complete a 17 million pounds move for Mascherano, who has been on loan at Anfield since January, and fell out with the club's American owners over their failure to seal the deal late last year.

But Benitez believes Mali midfielder Sissoko's switch to Juventus has freed up the funds to keep Mascherano at Liverpool and he hinted there could be a resolution before the transfer window shuts on Thursday. "I am confident it will be tied up soon.

"Sissoko has gone and we are closer to a deal for Javier," Benitez said.

"The fee we have got for Momo can certainly help as we try to complete the deal. We are working very hard to achieve that before the window shuts. I hope for something positive in the next 48 hours. Javier has made it very clear he wants to stay here and I believe he will."

But we do not need to do anything quickly - he is our loan player until the summer, and it could all be sorted out then. "We have two days, and if we can finish everything now it will be perfect. He wants to stay."

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Top clubs face another round of FA Cup jeopardy

Despite all the talk of the Premier League being vastly superior to the divisions beneath it, just three of England's elite clubs could be left standing in the FA Cup after this weekend's fourth round ties.

With nine of the 20 Premier League sides already eliminated after falling in the third round earlier this month, the stage is set for lower division clubs to cause some more upsets. Only three top flight clubs are guaranteed to survive as they are playing in all-Premier League ties.

Arsenal meet Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium, Wigan Athletic host FA Cup holders Chelsea while either 11-times record FA Cup winners Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur will also represent the top flight in the last 16.

Five others face lower division opposition although Havant & Waterlooville, from the sixth tier of the English League pyramid, would have to produce the greatest shock in the history of the competition if they were to knock out Liverpool at Anfield.

However, Derby County, the bottom side in the top flight, could struggle at home to Championship side Preston North End, while Middlesbrough could be embarrassed at lowly League Two (fourth division) Mansfield Town. Portsmouth should beat Championship side Plymouth Argyle at home, but Sheffield United, who were relegated from the top flight last season and won 1-0 at Bolton Wanderers in the third round, could claim their second Premier League victim if they beat Manchester City at Bramall Lane.

Chelsea travel to Wigan, where they have already won 2-0 this season, in high spirits after winning their seventh successive match in all competitions -- a 1-0 win at Everton in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final on Wednesday to reach the final against Spurs.

Manchester United, beaten by Chelsea in last year's final, are likely to prove too strong for Spurs at Old Trafford on Sunday, although Tottenham will still be on a high after crushing Arsenal 5-1 on Tuesday to reach next month's League Cup final.

Arsenal will be determined to bounce back from their humiliating loss at White Hart Lane and should account for a Newcastle United side who began life afresh under new manager Kevin Keegan last week with an uninspiring 0-0 draw with Bolton.

Liverpool are also unlikely to slip up against Havant & Waterlooville, who knocked out League One (third division) leaders Swnasea City in the last round.

Eight other ties are taking place without the involvement of a Premier League team with League Two Hereford United, famous giant-killers of Newcastle in 1972, dreaming of reaching the fifth round at the expense of Championship side Cardiff City.