Sporting briefs...

Senna: Spain midfielder Marcos Senna has agreed a contract extension with Villarreal until 2010, the Primera Liga club said yesterday. "Despite everything that was said during the summer, what I really wanted was to stay here," Senna told a news conference. The 30-year-old international, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season, was linked with a move to Manchester United last month.

Scotland: Scotland have been hit by injury and illness ahead of tomorrow's Euro 2008 Group B qualifier in Lithuania and are drafting in Hibernian forward Scott Brown. Lokomotiv Moscow striker Garry O'Connor has been sidelined with a stomach bug while Celtic defender Stephen McManus is highly doubtful with a thigh strain. Wigan midfielder Lee McCulloch and Reading defender Graeme Murty had already been sent back to their clubs after failing to recover from knee knocks.

Torres: Spain striker Fernando Torres has agreed on a one-year extension to his contract with Atletico Madrid that will him tie him to the club until 2009, the player said yesterday. The 22-year-old was a reported target for Manchester United and Inter after the World Cup, but he rejected their approaches to stay with Atletico.

Kidnapped: Gunmen have kidnapped a player for one of Iraq's biggest soccer clubs, just days before he was due to sign a transfer to a Syrian club to escape the raging violence in his homeland, an Iraqi official said. Ghanim Khudheyir, 22, striker at the Iraqi Air Force club was taken from his home on Thursday by gunmen in civilian clothes who claimed to be members of the Interior Ministry intelligence service.

Ronaldinho: Ronaldinho has recovered from injury and will play for Brazil in their friendly international against Wales in London today. Brazil meet Wales at White Hart Lane in their second match in London following a 3-0 win over Argentina at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Division II/III KO: Gzira vs Mellieha 2-3; Lija vs Pembroke 5-0.