SPORT DIGEST Real Madrid: Unsettled Roberto Carlos has dismissed a move to Chelsea by insisting he will only leave Real Madrid for one club - Santos of Brazil.

The left-back has been missing from the starting line-up of the last two Madrid games.

Carlos (31) is one of a number of players singled out for criticism in what has been a disappointing first half of the Primera Liga season for Real.

But the Brazilian has dismissed any move to Chelsea and says his heart will be his guide should he depart the Bernabeu.

"I am happy at Real Madrid and I believe that from here I will only leave for Santos, the team of my heart," he told Correio da Manha.

"I can confirm that there was a possibility to go to Chelsea but I felt that the best for me was to remain in Madrid."

SOUTHAMPTON: Free agents Abel Xavier and Alex Nyarko are both due to begin training with Southampton today with a view to joining until the end of the season, according to agent Barry Silkman.

Harry Redknapp and his assistant Jim Smith have made it clear they are only interested in signing players with previous Premiership experience - something both players possess.

Xavier played for Everton and Liverpool but was released by German side Hannover earlier this season and is now a free agent, and went on trial to Blackburn last month.

Nyarko also played for Everton, and Silkman insists Redknapp will now take a look at the pair as he tries to recruit the players to lift Southampton out of trouble.

"They are both out of contract and both free agents so those deals would be quite straightforward," the agent said.

"They will start training tomorrow. Abel Xavier is the more straightforward (deal) of the two, if he proves his fitness he will be ready whenever Harry needs him."

GASCOIGNE: Paul Gascoigne is recovering in hospital from pneumonia. However, suggestions that the 37-year-old is seriously ill and battling against a collapsed lung have been played down by his agent, Alex Armitage.

"The situation is that Paul is in hospital and he has got pneumonia," Armitage said yesterday. "That is about it really, it is no big deal.

"He has pneumonia, which makes you feel awful, but he does not have a collapsed lung, he does not have excess fluid on his lungs and he does not have three heads.

"The doctors say he will should be able to leave hospital by the middle of the week. It's pneumonia, not black-water malaria!"

Gascoigne was admitted to Princess Grace Hospital in London several days ago after complaining of feeling unwell.

BOLTON: Les Ferdinand has left Bolton by mutual consent.

The 38-year-old striker, who has started just one league game for Bolton, has taken advantage of a clause in his contract which allows him to leave if both parties could not agree to an extension on his current deal.

Bolton manager Sam Allardyce said: "Les has had limited opportunities at first-team level and we agreed he could leave the club for a fresh start. He is keen to move closer to his home and I am sure that's what he'll do."

Ferdinand joined Bolton in July last year and has made 12 appearances - 11 of them as a substitute - and scored one goal, against Manchester United.

CELTIC: Defender Bobo Balde, whose Celtic contract expires in the summer, has been offered a new deal by the club but has yet to decide whether he wants to extend his stay at Parkhead.

Balde has been linked with English Premiership sides Manchester City, Newcastle and Everton.

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill refused to go into the details of the offer but admitted he was concerned his out-of-contract players have not been tied up on longer deals yet.

"If it was down to an extra year I think we would be reasonably accommodating. There's always scope for more negotiations but I won't get into specifics," said O'Neill.

"We've made him an offer and he's mulling it over. We obviously want him to stay but like everything else it might come down to finance.

"It is a concern now that we're in January. You would like people you want to keep at the club to have been signed up."

PORTSMOUTH: Paraguayan defender Angel Martinez is set to join Portsmouth in June, according to the president of his current team.

Martinez is contracted to Tacuary in Paraguay but club president Francisco Ocampo insists the 21-year-old defender is close to agreeing a deal with the Fratton Park outfit.

"He (Martinez) will continue his career with Portsmouth," said Ocampo. "On Wednesday he will sign the contract with the English team."

Martinez started his career with Olimpia in his homeland, before moving to Argentina to join Racing Club.

He has since returned to Paraguay to play for both Nacional and Tacuary, and won a silver medal with his country at the 2004 Olympic Games.