Sporting briefs

Saha: Everton's bad luck with strikers continued with the news that Louis Saha's hamstring problem will keep him out for at least another month. The Frenchman had been expected to return last week but a new scan had revealed damage that would keep him out for a month.

Schuster: Ex-Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster has said he plans to return to management from this summer. "I am sure that from this summer I will be back on the bench. Whether it's in Spain I don't know or whether I will leave for one or two years and then come back to Spain later," Schuster said.

Denmark: Former European champions Denmark will contest the annual King's Cup tournament with hosts Thailand, North Korea and Lebanon from Jan. 21-23, in the southern Thai island of Phuket.

In England: FA Cup third round - Tottenham 3 (Pavlyuchenko 52 pen.,90; Modric 76) vs Wigan 1 (Camara 88).

French Cup: (Last 64) Played yesterday - Sainte Geneviève vs Lille 0-3.

Cricket: Police said yesterday they had arrested three people in connection with alleged extortion letters sent to Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Security was beefed up outside Dhoni's family home in eastern India after a man claiming to be an associate of Dawood Ibrahim, the country's most wanted gangster, demanded 5 million rupees ($102,000) from the cricket star in a letter on Monday. A second letter sent two days later threatened to blow up the house if police were asked for help.

MotoGP: Aspar Team chief Jorge Martinez has said he is in talks to take over the Kawasaki MotoGP team after media reported that the Japanese manufacturers were planning to pull out of the 2009 championship. "Negotiations to take over the two Kawasaki (bikes) have started," former 80cc and 125cc world champion Martinez, who already has teams in the 125 and 250 classes, said.

In Gozo: GFA Div. II - Xagħra vs Munxar 2-1, Għarb vs Xewkija 3-1.