Football briefs...

West Brom: West Bromwich Albion appointed Hibernian's Tony Mowbray as manager. Mowbray takes over after former Man. United and England captain Bryan Robson left the second division club last month by mutual consent.

Nihat injured: Villarreal's Turkish striker Nihat Kahveci will be out of action for up to three weeks after straining a ligament in his left knee. Villarreal said that the 26-year-old had sustained the injury during Turkey's 5-0 win over Moldova in a Euro 2008 qualifier on Wednesday.

Racist chants: Berlin's local soccer association has sanctioned a lower league club, ordering its players and coaches to take part in an anti-racism seminar after a group of fans chanted anti-Semitic slogans at Jewish team TuS Makkabi. TuS Makkabi's players walked off the pitch in protest in the 78th minute of their district league match at VSG Altglienicke in east Berlin last month after referee Klaus Bruening did not stop the anti-Semitic chants.

Karagounis: Greek midfielder Giorgios Karagounis has been ruled out of Benfica's Champions League match against Celtic on Tuesday because of a calf muscle injury. The 29-year-old would be sidelined for at least a month after sustaining the injury in his right leg during Greece's 4-0 win over Bosnia in a Euro 2008 qualifier last Wednesday.

Cristocea: Steaua Bucharest's key midfielder Vasilica Cristocea has been ruled out of this week's Champions League match against Real Madrid by a thigh injury. "Cristocea strained again his leg muscle during a training session and he will not play against Real," Steaua coach Cosmin Olaroiu told Reuters.