TWO weeks away in Latin America free of all sport - wildlife-spotting and vodka-swilling apart - and what happens?

Chelsea are still winning, always it seems amid controversial circumstances; Leeds Rhinos march on and on in Super League; Arsenal crash out of Europe; Kevin Keegan quits and dear bold Jonny Wilkinson is injured. Arriba, arriba - some things just don't change.

Well, perhaps they do. During the past fortnight York City have improved under new manager Billy McEwan by stealthy degrees, while York City Knights' hex over Featherstone Rovers was finally exorcised in the distraction otherwise paraded as the Northern Rail Cup.

Can anyone now halt the Jose juggernaut that is Mourinho's men from Stamford Bridge? Barcelona, said by many to be European football's most potent attacking force, were sensationally quelled by the Blues in the Champions League to maintain their dreams of a treble first achieved by Liverpool 21 years ago.

Now they are being hailed by a London-obsessed media as the team of the new Millennium.

Come off it. To be recognised as a football super-power you have to conquer England and Europe consistently. That's why Manchester United and Liverpool are European titans, and Arsenal plainly are not.

Chelsea may well sweep up the Premier League and the Continent's top prize this season, but there's a long way to go yet before they can live up to the capital's media frenzy. And before any accusations of sour grapes start flying, let's not forget that had it not been for benefactor Roman Abramovich's billions, Chelsea may well have been the first Premiership club to go into administration, if not extinction.

The two saddest items of sporting news in my fortnight's absence revolve around two of this country's greatest sporting ambassadors.

The sight of Jonny Wilkinson, an ice-pack strapped to his stricken knee, hobbling from another field of pain was an agonising one for all fans of the Newcastle Falcons and England rugby union fly-half.

When he arced that memorable kick between the sticks to crown England's World Cup triumph over Australia less than 16 months ago, the world was at the feet of the talented number ten.

Since then he has virtually been a bystander, battered and bruised by shoulder and knee injuries. Fears are ominously growing that his eminence at the pinnacle of the 15-a-side code is over. Wilkinson, his employers Newcastle, and his national management team are anxiously awaiting another medical bulletin. Let us hope it will signal nothing worse than a short absence from the game he has already graced and which remains the less for his continued enforced exile.

Will absence, meanwhile, make the heart grow fonder for another possible return for Kevin Keegan, England's most passionate performer as player and manager?

Football is not that rich in characters that it can afford to be too long without Keegan.

So what if he had shortcomings as the England national coach. It was a failure he candidly admitted when so many predecessors - and no doubt successors - conveniently forgot or will forget during their spells in charge of the three lions' brigade.

It's an indisputable indictment on the modern game that Keegan should become disillusioned by it.

As a player he maximised the most of his talents to ensure a prosperous future where he did not need to work again. Yet he bounced back as a manager, injecting Fulham, Newcastle, England and Manchester City with an unalloyed ardour for the game.

How it must have shattered his heart to see players, perhaps more gifted than he had ever been, not apply themselves to the full despite their massive income.

As I said, some things just do not change. Hola, amigos.

Updated: 10:18 Tuesday, March 15, 2005