Bergkamp may miss first match

The Holland coach Guus Hiddink has admitted that Arsenal's striker Dennis Bergkamp is losing his race to be fit for the opening…

The Holland coach Guus Hiddink has admitted that Arsenal's striker Dennis Bergkamp is losing his race to be fit for the opening Dutch game of the World Cup, against Belgium on June 13th. Bergkamp missed Arsenal's FA Cup victory over Newcastle after suffering a hamstring injury early last month.

"Time is running out for Dennis," said Hiddink, who will again be without Bergkamp as the Dutch meet Nigeria in Amsterdam tonight in their final warm-up match.

Belgium's coach George Leekens has warned England not to write off their Group G opponents Colombia, even though the South Americans followed up Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Germany with a 2-0 loss in Brussels on Wednesday.

Danny Boffin's header and Marc Wilmots's 30-yard shot put Belgium in control in the first half-hour. However, Leekens said afterwards: "In the second half they were better than us and they showed they can play football. Pay attention because this Colombian team with Asprilla and Valderrama are very dangerous."

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Jamaica's midfielder Fitzroy Simpson (28), wants to play on the Continent after the World Cup. "If Portsmouth can get good money, certainly the £500,000 they paid for me, it will be fine; everyone will have got something out of it," he said.

Roberto Baggio is set to link up with Ronaldo at Inter Milan after the World Cup. "There's a gentleman's agreement between the two clubs and the player, but Baggio hasn't signed anything, so there's nothing official," an Inter spokesman confirmed.

Coventry have agreed to pay Lens £700,000 for their captain Jean-Guy Wallemme. The 30year-old central defender flew in for talks yesterday and agreed a three-year deal. He becomes Coventry's second continental recruit of the summer after they signed the Belgian midfielder Philippe Clement from Genk.

Jon Dahl Tomasson is on the point of joining Feyenoord for the £2.5 million Newcastle paid Heerenveen for him last summer after describing his year on Tyneside as "wasted".