Valencia: Financially-troubled Valencia have secured a 50 million euro loan from a group of local businesses, the club said after a board meeting, which is likely to see players paid outstanding wages owed from two months ago. They host struggling Getafe tomorrow with a doubt over striker David Villa who was rested to continue recovering from a knee injury for Spain's 2-1 World Cup qualifier win in Turkey on Wednesday.

Dalmat: Sochaux midfielder Stephane Dalmat, charged with assaulting his wife and a policeman earlier this week, could feature against Stade Rennes tomorrow. "He will play if he is better than others," coach Francis Gillot told L'Equipe. "I don't want to penalise the whole team. He made a mistake but it's his private life." Dalmat has been stripped of the captaincy and fined by the club.

Fabregas: Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has recovered from the knee injury that kept him out for more than three months and should return to the squad at home to Manchester City today. Robin van Persie is out with a groin strain but Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Adebayor and defender Mikael Silvestre are all fit again.

Amauri: Juventus striker Amauri is hoping to return from a thigh injury in time for the April 18 clash with Serie A leaders Inter in Turin. "My aim is to be there against Inter but my injury was not insignificant so all the necessary precautions are needed," the player said. Amauri has been out for three weeks.

Basketball: Women's League - Stunners vs St James Hospital 32-44. Division Two - Starlites vs Mellieħa 64-62.

Figure skating: Brian Joubert, reigning European champion and current world bronze medallist, has split with his coach Jean-Christophe Simond by mutual consent, the French skating federation announced. Joubert, the 2007 world champion, has asked former coach Laurent Depouilly to accompany him to the April 16-19 ISU World Team Trophy in Tokyo, the final event of the season.

Basketball, NBA: J.R. Smith tied a career-high best with eight three-pointers to score 28 as the Denver Nuggets secured a 114-104 victory over the Utah Jazz. The Nuggets claimed their fifth straight win and 10th in the last 11 games to stretch a one-game advantage over the San Antonio Spurs and hold on to the No.2 spot in the Western Conference with six games remaining.

Boxing: Briton David Haye has secured a shot at the world heavyweight title after signing a contract to take on Ukrainian champion Wladimir Klitschko. After four months of negotiations a deal has been agreed for the former undisputed cruiserweight champion to take on IBF and WBO champion Klitschko on June 20, with the venue likely to be in Germany.

Baseball: The New York Yankees have once more topped the Boston Red Sox... this time in ticket prices. This season the average price of home ticket for a Yankees game will run $72.97, up more than 75 per cent from last season. The big jump in prices charged by the Yankees makes them the most expensive average ticket in baseball. Average prices for a Red Sox ticket will be barely higher this season at $50.24.

Tennis: The Swedish tennis federation has been fined $25,000 and Malmo banned from hosting Davis Cup matches for five years after the city's authorities opted to play last month's tie with Israel behind closed doors. The safety of the Israeli team in Malmo, a city with a large Muslim community, prompted the local authorities to act. Sweden are planning to appeal against the decision. Israel won 3-2 to reach the quarter-finals.

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