I hope all the readers of EPL Talk had a great Labor Day weekend! Now that we are all back to the grind (even I’m back to school), it is time to get to business. The England vs. Wales match at Wembley today should be a exciting fixture, as the passion of the fans for each of the Home Countries is amongst the greatest in the world. Today’s “Daily Ticker” includes the day’s Premier League news.

Liverpool’s Damien Comolli is looking to establish a permanent relationship between the Reds and Uruguayan side Nacional. The English club have signed two of the club’s former players in the last year. Comolli praised the Nacional academy, saying, “During the Copa America they had 14 players out of the 23 who had at some point played at Nacional or were developed by Nacional. That is a fantastic record for their academy.”

Garry Cook is not off the hook for the vicious e-mail he allegedly sent to Dr Anthonia Onuoha, the mother and agent of City‘s Nedum Onuoha. The club released a statement saying, “Following allegations made to the football club by Dr Anthonia Onuoha, subsequently reported in today’s media, the Club can confirm that a board led review has been launched into the matter.” Cook is the chief executive of Manchester City.

Arsenal are in even more trouble now. UEFA confirmed that Arsene Wenger will have to sit in the stands for the Gunners’ first two group stage matches against Borussia Dortmund and Olympiacos. The club was fined 10,000 euros for “improper conduct” by the club’s hierarchy. Wenger was originally banned after Arsenal’s exit from the Champions League last year against Barcelona. However, he broke the ban by communicating with the sideline in Arsenal’s first leg against Udinese. As if things could not get worse for Wenger, he has lost Belgium’s Thomas Vermaelen for two months. The defender is undergoing Achilles surgery.

Owen Coyle values England’s Gary Cahill at 10 million pounds. The Bolton manager told the press that nobody came close to the double digit figure in the last transfer window.

Steven Gerrard is happy to have Craig Bellamy back at Anfield, saying he was sad to see the striker go after his first stint with the Reds. The Liverpool midfielder said, “I’m delighted that Craig is back – I didn’t want him to leave in the first place.” The Englishman complemented Bellamy’s work ethic and has tipped his “fiery character” to help the Reds succeed.

Mike Ashley had a night out on the town worth 2,000 pounds. Due to the credibility of the site, EPLTalk will not report any other details concerning Ashley’s night out.

England News:

Fabio Capello:

The Italian has confronted Andy Carroll about his drinking problem. He told the press they had a “private discussion.” The Liverpool striker has done well in training since the Bulgaria match, in which he was not selected. Capello said, “I think, if you want to be a good player and a good sportsman, he needs to drink less than the normal.” The England boss wants to be very cautious with Carroll, whom Capello says will be a “important” part of the Three Lions in the future.

Capello also assured the press that Frank Lampard has a future with the team. He said Frank is a important member of the squad and a leader, though the boss will not say if Lampard will start against Wales.

The England manager will not accept responsibility for the injury of Arsenal starlet Jack Wilshere. There have been discrepancies between the Arsenal and FA medical staffs concerning the treatment of the player, whom originally suffered the ankle injury against Switzerland. Capello said, “During a game, it can happen, it’s normal. People get shoulder, knee, head injuries. When he started the game he was fit. If he hadn’t been, he wouldn’t have played… Afterwards he went on holiday. It‘s not my job to say what happened but I hope he will be fit in a really short time.”

Racism:

The match in Sofia was ruined by racial slurs sung to Ashley Young and Theo Walcott. The team wore “Kick Racism Out of Football” sweatbands to practice yesterday. Capello said racism is a, “…really terrible thing. I’m against it absolutely.”

England U-21s 4-1 Israel U-21s:

Stuart Pierce’s side was totally different from that played in his lad’s 6-0 thrashing of Azerbaijan. Many got their first England starts and it showed, as they went down 1-0 early. However, the addition of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain proved to be the difference in the match. The youngster setup two goals and earned a spot kick for his country. All of the Three Lions’ goals came after the break. Martyn Waghorn headed home the equalizer with 58 minutes gone and Marvin Sordell scored from distance to give England the lead. Eight minutes from time, Nathan Delfouneso scored on the penalty drawn by Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Henri Lansbury struck in added time.

Misc:

Mohamed Bin Hammam complained to football’s governing body, in a letter to the ethics panel, that he would not have been prosecuted had he been European. Hammam also claims that Jerome Valcke and Sepp Blatter should be investigated for their roles in corrupt actions. The Qatar native still denies that he took part in a bribery scandal.

Cristiano Ronaldo may sign a 10 year contract with Real Madrid. However, the former Manchester United star has not put a return to England out of his plans.

Neymar claims that Spanish powerhouses Real Madrid and Barcelona are still after him.

Former Sunderland player Steed Malbranque, who left for St Etienne, has terminated his contract with the French club. This comes just a day after his representatives told the press the 31 year old was retiring to take care of his son, whom suffers from cancer. However, Steed has no ill family members at all.

Article of the Day/Video of the Day:

This week’s “Off the Ball” by Dominic Raynor includes news surrounding Park Chu-Young and shows Mezut Ozil disappear.

Question of the Day:

Is the Lampard-Gerrard era over?