Sporting briefs...

Ballack: Bayern Munich are resigned to losing midfielder Michael Ballack, 29, to Chelsea at the end of the season. "I'm all but certain that Ballack will move to Chelsea," Bayern manager Uli Hoeness told Premiere TV yesterday. Ballack's contract runs out at the end of the season, leaving the Germany captain a free agent.

Ronaldinho: Ronaldinho has been left out of Barcelona's squad to play Racing Santander in the Primera Liga today to give him time to recover from a bruised right leg. The Brazilian playmaker has missed the last two training sessions.

Lehmann: Jens Lehmann has pledged to work harder than ever to vindicate Juergen Klinsmann's decision to make him Germany's number one for the World Cup. The Arsenal goalkeeper was picked ahead of former captain Oliver Kahn on Friday after a series of faultless performances took his club into the semi-finals of the Champions League. "I'm delighted the decision went in my favour," Lehmann said. "I'm going to throw myself into it even more than I have done up to now."

Kalou: Ivorian Salomon Kalou is to go to court to appeal against the decision of immigration minister Rita Verdonk to deny his application to be fast-tracked for a Dutch passport. Netherlands coach Marco van Basten has already guaranteed Kalou a spot in his World Cup squad if he gets the passport. The Feyenoord striker applied at the end of 2004 and after various hearings received Verdonk's final answer on March 20.

Tune ups: South Korea will play Norway and Ghana in friendlies before the World Cup finals in June, coach Dick Advocaat announced. The Koreans will travel to Norway for a friendly on June 1 and then take on Ghana on June 4, probably in Edinburgh.