Ronaldo will play against Espanyol, says Ancelotti

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The Portuguese sat out the loss to Celta Vigo last week due to injury but is set to play in the final Liga game of the season

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo will return to the fold when his side face Espanyol on Saturday.

The Portuguese was injured during the recent draw with Real Valladolid and sat out last week's loss to Celta Vigo in a bid to rest ahead of the Champions League final.

However, he will be available when the Spanish giants host the Catalans as they look to finish the Liga season on a high.

"Cristiano Ronaldo will play because he is available and has no problems," Ancelotti told reporters.

"The team will be decided tomorrow. Only Pepe, Jese and Diego Lopez are not available. We'll give Sami Khedira some time because he needs it after a long period out.

"He did very well in Vigo for an hour and had no problems afterwards. He's an option for the Champions League final.

"[Asier] Illarramendi is the first choice for the final. He is used to playing there and was signed to play there. I haven't changed my mind.

"He has the quality to play every game, whether it's important or not."

Ancelotti is determined to deliver one last victory in the domestic season against Espanyol so they can approach the Champions League final in high spirits.

"We have a great atmosphere to help the team prepare for the final. We'll play with intensity because it is the last game in front of our fans. I think it will be a good atmosphere."

Luis Enrique announces Celta exit ahead of Barca move

The 44-year-old coach revealed his decision to quit the Galician club on Friday as he prepares to take over from Gerardo Martino at Camp Nou in the summer

Celta Vigo boss Luis Enrique has announced his decision to step down as coach of the Galician club as he prepares for a summer switch to Barcelona.

The 44-year-old held talks with the Catalan club at his home in Gava earlier this month and has agreed to take over from current coach Gerardo Martino to lead a new sporting project in 2014-15.

Luis Enrique played at Camp Nou between 1996 and 2004 and still has strong links at the club, but refused to confirm or deny his imminent return on Friday.

"Today is a sad day," he said. "Today I am coach of Celta and I will be until the end of the season. I felt obliged to let the club know my plans, so they have time to prepare.

"There is no exclusive reason [for my departure], but I left my family behind in Barcelona and that has been hard.

"I can't confirm or deny anything. In terms of my future, there is nothing to talk about. If an interesting situation arises in future, I will communicate that."

The Asturian, who previously spent five seasons at Real Madrid as a player, has never hidden his preference for the Blaugrana and returned to coach Barca B for three years between 2008 and 2011.

He then moved to Roma, but lasted just one season at the Stadio Olimpico and was out of the game for a while until taking over at Celta last summer.

He was strongly linked with Barca after Tito Vilanova stepped down on health grounds last July, but was already under contract at the Galician side.

Less than a year on, however, he is now set to take over from Martino, who will announce his decision to move on at the end of the season.

Luis Enrique's decision to meet Barca at his home while coach of Celta and with Martino still at Camp Nou caused controversy recently, but the Galicians' president Carlos Mourinho claimed on Friday that the Asturian was free to talk to the Catalan club.

"Luis Enrique had permission to go to Barcelona that day and meet with whomever he wanted," he said. "We were in agreement."

Did you know?: Bob Dylan releases cover of Frank Sinatra’s hit song

Rolling Stone magazine quoted a spokesperson for Dylan as saying: “This track is definitely from a forthcoming album due later on this year.” PHOTO: FILE

Bob Dylan has released a version of Full Moon and Empty Arms, a hit for Frank Sinatra in 1945, and will follow it with his 36th album this year.

The song, posted on Dylan’s official website, was written by Buddy Kaye and Ted Mossman and is based on Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto number 2. Artistes ranging from Sarah Vaughan to the Platters have also covered it.

Rolling Stone magazine quoted a spokesperson for Dylan as saying: “This track is definitely from a forthcoming album due later on this year.” No title has been announced for the album as yet. However, the website’s home page cryptically featured a picture of Dylan and the words ‘Shadows in the Night’, which could possibly be the name of the new album.

Dylan’s last album Tempest was a commercial and critical success when it was released in 2012. The 72 year old has just completed a string of dates in Japan and Hawaii as part of his Never Ending Tour and will start a European leg in Cork, Ireland on June 16.

Lake Bell on going from indie to Disney

Lake Bell stars in Disney movie, however, much to her disappointment, she didn’t get to go to India to film. PHOTO: FILE

LOS ANGELES: 

Actor Lake Bell, one of the few female actors in Hollywood who can also add the titles of writer and director to her name, swapped the world of quirky independent film for an international Disney movie in her latest on-screen role.

Bell stars opposite Mad Men star Jon Hamm in the Walt Disney Co feel-good sports drama Million Dollar Arm opening in US theatres on Friday. She plays Brenda the neighbor and doctor who helps sports agent J.B. Bernstein in his improbable quest to train two baseball pitchers from India.

Much to her disappointment, Bell didn’t get to go to India to film. But she did get to talk to Reuters about what it’s like to work in her first Disney film.

You get to play the bridge between the young Indian men and the prototype- American sports agent.

I play the literal girl next door who is somewhat irrelevant initially and then becomes incredibly relevant in suturing that relationship between J.B. and Rinku and Dinesh.

J.B. is kind of going down this straightaway of trying to find monetary gain from these investments he has brought back and he, with the help of my character, gets punched in the proverbial gut…’Hey check it out. This is so much more than monetary gain and the only way these boys will find success is if you respect that they are going through an emotional journey as well.’

What did you like about the character of Brenda?

I enjoy Brenda’s utter steadfast truth and her ability to express herself via tough love, which is something I relate to deeply in my own life.

It is such a cliche question, but millions of women would probably want to know what it’s like playing opposite Jon Hamm.

How do I answer that in a new way? Jon and I are good friends. We have known each other for a long time. He is really goofy and hilarious and people probably know that somewhat from his SNL career… But he really is a comedy fan and great comedy player.

Some might say you are a knockout, but in your film and this film you play somewhat disheveled, messy women.

I really enjoy playing characters that are realistically put together. I don’t walk around in stilettos and fancy dresses all the time. That’s just not my life and I don’t feel comfortable that way. I enjoy playing characters I can relate to personally who aren’t ‘glam squad’ all the time. ‘Glam squad’ is fun sometimes, but I feel like I can breath a bit better in a character that speaks truth in her visual representation.

Alia — the butt of all jokes

Alia thinks the jokes are funny and all she can do is laugh at herself. PHOTO: FILE

The latest memes to take the Indian social media by storm features the young diva Alia Bhatt. The Internet is flooded with jokes questioning the actor’s intellect. This started with Alia’s appearance on Karan Johar’s talk show Koffee with Karan with her Student of the Year co-stars, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra. When the trio was asked to name the President of India, Varun said Manmohan Singh, Alia replied Prithviraj Chauhan and Sidharth was the only one who answered Pranab Mukherjee correctly.

The clip of Alia’s answer went viral and soon a page of Alia jokes was created on Facebook. Within a day, it saw around 100,000 likes, reported Times of India.

When the Bhatt family was contacted to get an insight on how they are coping with the online onslaught, the actor’s mother Soni Razdan said, “I think Alia signed up for praise and criticism both when she signed her first film, Student Of The Year.”

Alia however is questioning why her friend Varun, who also answered incorrectly, has been let off the hook. “Varun ko target nahin kiya gaya (Varun hasn’t been targeted). He and I have even spoken about this, maybe his answer was inaudible while mine was not,” reasoned Alia. “He got his redemption for his faux pas in a recent interview when he went on to rattle off the last five Presidents of India correctly. I don’t think I’ll get a second chance.” I can laugh at myself. Yes, the jokes are funny,” added the 21-year-old actor.

Alia’s father Mahesh Bhatt said that his daughter is being targeted because all the films she has starred in so far have all been very successful. “Success has a price tag, it doesn’t come for free. Alia has tasted phenomenal success before turning 21. When you become a marketable commodity, such jokes are an occupational hazard. Bigger stars, who have been in the business for years have not been spared. Even Prime Ministers have been targeted by the amusement seeking lot in the virtual world,” said Mahesh.

“If somebody is making Alia a part of their entertainment, how can she object to it unless it crosses the limits of decency?” added Mahesh.

Did you know?: Clooney sent fiancée a series of flirty emails

KARACHI: Actor George Clooney won over his fiancée with a series of flirty emails, telling her that she is the “hottest human rights lawyer in the world”, after meeting her at a charity fundraiser.

The Monuments Men actor met lawyer Amal Alamuddin at a small charity fundraiser in September last year and after being instantly attracted to her, he resorted to sending her messages online since she refused to take his number.

He emailed her saying: “I think the reported hottest man in the world should meet with the hottest human rights lawyer in the world.”

“At first Amal was playing very hard to get and would not take his phone number, which simply made George even more intrigued,” said a source.

“In the end he managed to get her email address and began sending her a series of flirty messages. He was very up front and joked about the fact they were both considered the hottest people in their respected professions,” added the source. “It was all very tongue-in-cheek but it got the ball rolling. Amal found it funny, but she still made him wait a few days before replying.”

Did you know?: Emma Watson to star in Bollywood film

Speculation is rife that the Harry Potter star may feature in filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor’s Paani alongside Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Hollywood actor Emma Watson may soon be in a Bollywood movie. Speculation is rife that the Harry Potter star may feature in filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor’s Paani alongside Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput who made his film debut in 2013 in Abhishek Kapoor’s Kai Po Che!

So far only Kapoor and producer Aditya Chopra know about what’s really going on. “The casting decisions are being kept secret. A huge announcement is planned soon,” said an insider, reported the Hindustan Times.

John Travolta, too, is likely to star in director Shekhar Kapur’s highly anticipated film.”I have been offered a film that I am considering doing… I believe it is an honest Bollywood film and it is called Paani, by Shekhar Kapoor. He has asked me to be a part of it,” Travolta said on the sidelines of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards.

“I have known Shekhar for a while now. Even though the script does not have it (songs) Shekhar said he will put a song to make it truly Bollywood. I am open to working in Hindi films if I like the story and my part,” added Travolta.