Sporting briefs

Ribery: Forward Franck Ribery has pulled out of France's final two World Cup qualifiers because of a knee injury. He left the France training camp outside Paris because of tendinitis in his left knee and will not play against Faroe Islands on Saturday in Guingamp or Austria four days later at Stade de France, the FFF said.

Villa: Valencia striker David Villa has torn a thigh muscle and will be out of action for around three weeks. Villa, La Liga's top scorer with six goals, was substituted during his side's 1-0 win over Racing Santander on Sunday and will miss Spain's World Cup qualifiers in Armenia and Bosnia on October 10 and 14.

Gilradino: Fiorentina striker Alberto Gilardino will be available for their Champions League Group E clash at Hungary's Debrecen on Oct. 20 after UEFA halved his two-match suspension, the Serie A club said. The Italy forward missed last week's 2-0 win over Liverpool.

Milito: Diego Maradona completed his squad with nine home-based players on Sunday for Argentina's final World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Uruguay. Inter striker Diego Milito has had to pull out with a muscle strain. Argentina are in fifth place in the South American group needing wins at home to Peru next Saturday and away to Uruguay four days later to ensure they remain on course for next year's finals in South Africa.

Mutu: Romanian striker Adrian Mutu has returned to the national squad after an injury absence for the World Cup Group Seven qualifiers away to Serbia on Oct. 10 and home to Faroe Islands four days later. Fiorentina striker Mutu missed the matches against France and Austria after sustaining a thigh injury.

Hleb: Belarus captain Aleksandr Hleb has been ruled out of their final two World Cup qualifiers with a thigh injury. The midfielder, who joined VfB Stuttgart on loan from Barcelona in the close season, will miss the Group Six games at home to Kazakhstan on Saturday and in England four days later.

In Italy: Serie B - Torino vs Ancona 1-1. Prima Divisione (B) - Giulianova vs Virtus Lanciano 2-2.

MFA DIV. III: Marsa vs Fgura 1-0; Pembroke vs Luqa 1-0.

Athletics: Three-times former champion Paula Radcliffe has withdrawn from next weekend's world half marathon championships in Birmingham because of illness, UK Athletics said. The injury-prone 35-year-old, who also withdrew from the marathon at the recent world championships in Berlin because of problems associated with foot surgery, has tonsillitis. Radcliffe, the women's marathon world record holder, will be replaced in the British team by first reserve Michelle Ross-Cope.

Golf: Matt Kuchar won the Turning Stone Championship on the sixth hole of a sudden-death play-off yesterday after fellow American Vaughn Taylor hit his tee shot at the par-four 13th into the water. Kuchar made par on the 439-yard hole, while Taylor took a double-bogey, to win a $1.08 million top prize for his second tour title after his maiden victory at the 2002 Honda Classic. Kuchar and Taylor, who tied on 17 under par through 72 holes of regulation, played two sudden-death holes on Sunday before failing light forced a suspension of play.

2020 Olympics: The Italian cities of Rome and Venice have announced they will bid to host the 2020 Olympics. The mayors of both cities declared their intentions after the 2016 Games were awarded to Rio de Janeiro. Giovanni Petrucci, the president of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), believes the decision to award the 2016 edition to Rio in Brazil has made it more likely the Games will return to Europe in 2020. "The time has come for an Italian bid for the 2020 Games," he said.

Doping: Five athletes who tested positive for doping after blood sample retests from the 2008 Beijing Olympics will learn their fate in December, the International Olympic Committee said. Bahrain's Olympic 1,500 metres gold medallist Rashid Ramzi, who could have his medal stripped, and four other athletes tested positive for the blood booster CERA. All first-time doping offenders could face a two-year suspension while second-time offenders are liable to a lifetime ban.