Buenos Aires/Rio de Janeiro - Brazil are in far from their best form, and a divorce is evident between fans in the football- crazy South American country and the low-performance side led by coach Carlos Dunga.

However, the same team won the 2007 Copa America to earn the chance to defend their title at the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa.

Brazil have long failed to display the kind of fantasy game that made their football famous and turned "jogo bonito" into a global trademark.

Madrid  - Bernd Schuster is to continue as coach of troubled football club Real Madrid - for the time being.

Pedja Mijatovic, the club's sporting director, announced on Monday evening that Schuster still enjoys his confidence, despite recent results.

"My confidence in the coach has not changed since the beginning of the season," Mijatovic told the packed press conference at the Estadio Bernabeu.

London  - Frank Lampard became the latest player to pull out of England's friendly international against Germany this week when he was ruled out with a rib injury on Monday.

The Chelsea midfielder joined Liverpool's Steven Gerrard on the sidelines, leaving England with a relatively inexperienced midfield to face the Germans in Berlin on Wednesday.

Fulham's Jimmy Bullard and Scott Parker of West Ham United have been called up as midfield cover.

Berlin - Germany are expected to hand out some new caps in the friendly international against England in Berlin on Wednesday.

Coach Joachim Loew, who has called up three newcomers for the match in the Olympic Stadium, said Monday he wanted to test some or all of his trio of novices.

"The intention is to learn something new against strong opponents but I can't say yet exactly how it's going to look," Loew said.

"However I do want to give the one or other player a chance."

London- Newcastle United and England midfielder Joey Barton will be out for up to two months because of a knee injury.

The 26-year-old damaged knee ligaments in his side's 2-2 draw with Wigan Athletic on Saturday, after a clash with Lee Cattermole.

"I am not blaming Lee in any way," Barton said. "It was a 50-50 ball and we both went for it, these things happen.

"It's disappointing and frustrating. My sole intention is to knuckle down and bounce back and get fit again."

Munich - Bayern Munich's French defender Willy Sagnol is considering en