Sporting briefs

Rooney: Wayne Rooney became a father for the first time yesterday when his wife Coleen gave birth to a baby boy, a spokesman for the Manchester United and England forward announced. The baby, born at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, has been named Kai Wayne Rooney.

Spalletti: Former Roma coach Luciano Spalletti has held talks about taking over at Russia’s Zenit St Petersburg but also has his eye on the Italy job once Marcello Lippi leaves. “We are considering matters,” Spalletti told reporters when asked if he would succeed Anatoly Davydov at Zenit. “The national team is the dream of every coach. I feel ready, I’m talking about a foreign national side but also Italy’s.”

Appiah: Ghana midfielder Stephen Appiah has signed for Bologna, the Serie A strugglers said. The former Juventus player has been without a club since leaving Fenerbahce last year but has still continued to turn out for the Ghana national side.

Frings: Werder Bremen midfielder Torsten Frings is facing a “significant” spell on the sidelines after tearing muscle fibres in Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Nurnberg. The 32-year-old had to be replaced in that game and tests yesterday confirmed the extent of the damage, which certainly rules him out of this weekend’s clash with Borussia Dortmund.

The Championship: Sheffield United vs Newcastle 0-1.

In Italy: Serie B – Mantova vs Brescia 2-2. Prima Divisione ‘B’ – Portogruaro vs Ternana 1-2.

MFA Div. Two: Senglea vs Żurrieq 0-3; Sta Venera Lightnings vs Żebbuġ Rangers 0-1.

Horse Racing: Irish stayer Changingoftheguard is a doubt for today’s Melbourne Cup after stewards raised concerns about the horse’s action at a trot during an examination yesterday. The David Hayes-trained import, the most favoured of the six European entrants in the 3,200 metre handicap, had suffered a hoof abscess after arriving in Melbourne. Vets had also examined Bart Cummings-trained hopes Viewed and Roman Emperor and cleared them to race.

Formula One: Richard Branson’s Virgin Group will announce in a month whether it will sponsor Formula One world champions Brawn GP again next season or invest in a new team. “In a month we’ll let you know our plans,” Branson told a news conference in Milan yesterday after returning from the season-ending grand prix in Abu Dhabi. Virgin have been linked in the media with a sponsorship deal with new team Manor GP for next year.

Motor Racing: Leading personalities in Formula One have paid tribute to Donington Park circuit owner Tom Wheatcroft, who died at the weekend aged 87. “I knew Tom from going back to my bike days and he’s always been a tremendous, larger-than-life character and someone everybody loved to know,” said 1996 champion Damon Hill. Wheatcroft agreed a 150-year lease of the land in 2007 to Donington Ventures, who had a contract to bring the British Grand Prix to the circuit from next year. That race deal collapsed last week due to funding problems.

Cycling: Australia’s world road race cycling champion Cadel Evans has signed a three-year deal with the American team BMC, according to the team’s website. Evans, a two-time runner-up at the Tour de France in 2007 and 2008, will thus leave the Belgian Silence-Lotto team at the end of the year despite having a year on his current deal to run.