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Van der Sar gets leave to be with ill wife
Edwin van der Sar has been given compassionate leave by Manchester United to be with his wife after she suffered a brain haemorrhage.
Edwin van der Sar has been given compassionate leave by Manchester United to be with his wife after she suffered a brain haemorrhage.
Annemarie van Kesteren has been described as “very poorly” after collapsing on 23 December. She has been in hospital ever since and United have told Van der Sar to take as long as he needs before returning to play in goal.
Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, has been keeping in regular contact with the former Holland international and the club has explained his absence from their Christmas programme as being because he is still troubled by the knee injury that had kept him out since the 3-0 defeat of Everton on 21 November.
In the meantime, Ferguson will choose between Tomasz Kuszczak and Ben Foster to compete for the vacant goalkeeping slot in place of the man Ferguson recently described as rivalling Peter Schmeichel to be recognised as the greatest goalkeeper in the club's history. United's next game is at home to Wigan on Wednesday.
Van der Sar, the most capped footballer of all time for Holland with 130 appearances, met Annemarie when he was shopping at her brother’s grocery store. The couple, who got married in Amsterdam in May 2006, lives in Cheshire.
Late goals lift Chelsea
London: Chelsea scrambled a 2-1 home win over west London rivals Fulham on Monday as two goals in two minutes saved them from what was looking like a first home defeat for more than a year.
Tottenham Hotspur moved back into the top four with a 2-0 victory over struggling London rivals West Ham United, while in the day's late match Manchester City gave new boss Roberto Mancini a second straight win with a 3-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Chelsea’s win moved them five points clear at the top from Manchester United, although United have a match in hand against Wigan Athletic on Wednesday.
