McManaman catches Eriksson's eye

Steve McManaman's recent form for Real Madrid has not gone unnoticed by England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, according to his assistant Tord Grip.

The former Liverpool midfielder scored twice as the European champions drew 2-2 with AEK Athens in the Champions League in midweek.

McManaman has been out of favour with Eriksson despite some good club performances over the past year but Grip insists the door has not been closed on anyone.

He told thefa.com: "We haven't seen Steve live yet this season. It's important to see how many games he starts for Real Madrid but, if he carries on playing well for them, of course we will be taking a look at him."

Grip has also offered hope to Blackburn striker Matt Jansen, who came close to a World Cup call before being involved in a motorcycle crash over the summer.

"We haven't seen Matt yet this season," Grip said. "He is back playing now and I hope he will play on Saturday against Arsenal because it will be a good opportunity to assess his fitness and form."