Sporting briefs...

Larsson: Barcelona striker Henrik Larsson will miss Tuesday's first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Milan because of a thigh injury, the Primera Liga club said yesterday. The Swedish international limped off the pitch just nine minutes into a 1-0 victory over Villarreal at the Nou Camp on Friday. Larsson's replacement Santi Ezquerro followed him down the tunnel 25 minutes later after suffering bruising to his right knee and is doubtful for Tuesday's match at the San Siro.

Accrington Stanley: Accrington Stanley regained Football League status after a 44-year absence yesterday when they clinched the Conference title. Accrington's name became a by-word for failure and was famous throughout the football world after financial pressure forced the club to fold in March 1962, with their playing record for that season famously expunged from the record books. The club reformed in 1968 and have risen up the English minor league system. They won promotion to the Conference, one rung below the Football League, in 2003 and secured the title yesterday with a 1-0 win at Woking.

Villarreal: Villarreal defenders Gonzalo Rodriguez and Juan Manuel Pena are doubtful for Wednesday's Champions League semi-final, first leg at Arsenal. Rodriguez suffered a blow to his ankle and had to leave the pitch after 20 minutes of Villarreal's 1-0 defeat at Barcelona on Friday, while fellow centre-back Pena twisted his ankle late on in the game.

Diving in football: Players who "dive" should be punished severely because the theatrics are sporting fraud, German interior minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said yesterday. "Diving in soccer is quite simply fraud," said Schaeuble. "This attempted fraud must be punished more severely than as if it were simply another rules infraction," said Schaeuble, known as a hardliner on crime.

Racial abuse: Belasitsa Petrich's Brazilian striker Vava was racially abused by Lokomotiv Sofia players and fans in a Bulgarian league match in which he was sent off. The former Levski Sofia striker was targeted by a section of Lokomotiv fans who directed racial abuse, chants and monkey noises at him during Friday's game at the Lokomotiv Stadium in the capital. Referee Alexander Kostadinov sent Vava off mid-way through the second half for hitting Lokomotiv's Kristian Dobrev. The Brazilian said he was provoked.

Snooker: World Championships - S. Murphy bt J. Wattana 10-4; G. Dott leads J. Parrott 7-2; S. Davis leads A. Hicks 6-2; M. Selby leads J. Higgins 6-3.