Sporting briefs...

Bundesliga: Werder Bremen won 2-0 at home to Mainz to move back within three points of Bundesliga leaders Schalke 04 yesterday. Werder were frustrated for a long time against in-form Mainz but after a first half of few chances they took the lead when Jurica Vranjes smashed in with an hour gone. As Mainz chased an equaliser, Diego made the game safe when he raced clear on the counter-attack and tapped into an empty net. Victory kept Werder in second spot on 50 points, back within striking distance of Schalke after their 1-0 win at home to VfB Stuttgart on Saturday.

Pires: French midfielder Robert Pires made his league debut for Villarreal at home to Real Sociedad in the Primera Liga yesterday, seven months after suffering a serious knee injury. The 33-year-old came on as a substitute in the 60th minute in a game that ended 1-1. Pires tore the cruciate ligament in his left knee in a pre-season match in August, after moving from Arsenal when his contract expired at the end of last season.

Deco: Barcelona's Portugal midfielder Deco will have surgery on his right hand and could miss his country's Euro 2008 qualifiers against Belgium and Serbia. Deco was substituted in the second half of Saturday's 4-0 Primera Liga win over Recreativo Huelva after injuring the third finger on his hand in a challenge.

Chivu: Romania captain Cristian Chivu will miss his side's Euro 2008 qualifiers against the Netherlands and Luxembourg, coach Victor Piturca said yesterday. The defender is not fully fit after undergoing surgery on his nose following an injury sustained playing for his club side Roma.

Mladenov: Goals from substitute Eugen Trika and Evgeni Yordanov gave CSKA Sofia a 2-0 victory over Litex Lovech in the Bulgarian Premier League yesterday, handing new coach Stoycho Mladenov a debut win. Mladenov, who took over from Plamen Markov last week, saw his side move within six points of leaders Levski Sofia.