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Alvaro Negredo: Jeff Stelling thinks Spaniard could sit out big games

Image: Negredo: burly but has a great touch, says Jeff

Manuel Pellegrini says it is a great achievement for Manchester City to reach the last 16 of the Champions League - but it isn't.

Heartbeat
Elsewhere, Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana have joined Southampton team-mate Rickie Lambert in the England squad and their call-ups are richly deserved after brilliant starts to the season on the South Coast. Rodriguez has been terrific and I am a massive fan of Lallana; he is a terrific footballer, one of the heartbeats of that Southampton side, and I am slightly surprised he hasn't entered the field for England before. I'm not sure many other Saints players will creep into the England squad before the World Cup but it might be worth taking a look at both of the club's full-backs, left-back Luke Shaw and right-back Nathaniel Clyne. Shaw probably won't go to Brazil because he has got two fantastic players in Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines ahead of him, but there is no question in my mind that he is a future England full-back - and the same may apply to Clyne. Southampton are brim-full of English players - I also like the look of James Ward-Prowse even though it is still early days in his career - and that is great for them and great for Roy Hodgson.

Jeff's Gem of the Week

I could have nominated Man City for firing seven past Norwich but I'm going to pick Sheffield Wednesday, who hadn't won a game all season until they defeated promotion-chasing Reading 5-2 at Hillsborough. Wednesday have been scoring goals, leading around half a dozen times before failing to hold on to their advantage, but this was the day where everything clicked into place and they got three points. I'm sure they were helped by Sunderland loanee Connor Wickham, someone who I think is very talented and can still play Premier League football, and I'm pleased for Wednesday manager Dave Jones (pictured) who is one of football's nice guys. He must have been looking over his shoulder - and probably still is - but at least this result has given him a bit of respite.

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