Sporting briefs

Ferencvaros: Ferencvaros replaced manager Bobby Davison with assistant Craig Short yesterday after a series of disappointing results. The club said Short would hold the post until the end of the year while it sought a foreign coach. Ferencvaros, who have Malta keeper Justin Haber in their ranks, are 13th in the 16-team championship.

Friedel: Aston Villa keeper Friedel, 38, is set to make his 200th consecutive Premier League appearance when Villa travel to Everton today. The previous record of consecutive games played, 166 set by Portsmouth keeper David James in 2008, was overhauled by Friedel last November. Friedel joined Villa from Blackburn in July 2008.

Sissoko: Juventus midfielder Mohamed Sissoko has been ruled out for about a month with a thigh strain. The Mali international, who only just returned to action after a broken foot, was injured in the 5-1 hammering of Sampdoria on Wednesday.

Match postponed: This weekend's Spanish second-division match between Real Betis and Villarreal B has been postponed after 13 Betis players contracted H1NI flu. "To those 13 players you have to add the four others in the squad who are injured," Betis said. "Betis would only have nine players available, which is the main reason for the postponement of the match," they added.

In England: The Championship - QPR vs Leicester1-2. League One - Southend vs Gillingham1-0. League Two - Grimsby vs Accrington 2-2.

MFA Division III: Luqa vs Mtarfa 3-4; Kalkara vs Siġġiewi 0-3.

Basket, NBA: Chinese forward Yi Jianlian has his contract option for the 2010-2011 NBA season picked up by the New Jersey Nets, securing his fourth season in North America. Yi will be paid slightly more than $4 million under the contract option exercised by the Nets.

Athletics: Olympic and world sprint champion Usain Bolt plans to move up to the 400 metres after setting world records in the 100 and 200. Bolt told a news conference yesterday his main goal was to become a legend in his sport. "Next year is the same thing, win the championships, break more records and eventually move up to the 400 metres," he said.

Sailing: A Dutch court yesterday barred 14-year-old Laura Dekker from setting off on a round-the-world solo yacht trip for at least eight months, citing safety concerns and placing her in care. Dekker is seeking to become the youngest person ever to sail around the world solo on a yacht.

Baseball: The New York Yankees levelled the World Series at one game each as A.J. Burnett outduelled old Yankees nemesis Pedro Martinez in a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui homered for the Yankees, who overcame a 1-0 second-inning deficit for the crucial victory as the best-of-seven series shifts to Philadelphia for the next three games starting today.

Motor racing: The US F1 team will use the Motorland Aragon circuit in northern Spain as their European base when they make their debut next season. The facility, near the town of Alcaniz, will be the team's European testing, race-car development and logistics headquarters. "MotorLand Aragon is the ideal motorsports complex for US F1's European operation," the team said. "From the excellent location to the rich racing heritage and diverse track configurations, MotorLand provides America's first F1 team in more than 40 years with the perfect facility to manage the 2010 season."