Sporting briefs

Ribery: Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery is not certain to be fit for today's Champions League last 16 second leg tie at Fiorentina, coach Louis van Gaal said yesterday. "Ribery has a slight problem," van Gaal, whose side have a 2-1 advantage from the first leg, told a news conference without giving the nature of the injury. "I think he can play but we'll see tomorrow."

Japan: Japan coach Takeshi Okada has been ordered to call up his Europe-based players for next month's home friendly against Serbia. Japan Football Association (JFA) president Motoaki Inukai said yesterday that Okada must build on last week's solid 2-0 win over Bahrain in preparation for this year's World Cup. "He has to put out the team he wants. It's a World Cup year so we should have more room to negotiate," he said.

Allegri: Massimiliano Allegri insists he will respect his contract with Cagliari despite being linked with a move to a number of top Serie A clubs. The 42-year-old coach is under contract at the Sardinian outfit until June 2011.

Manchester United: Manchester United have completed a deal to sign Belgian starlet Marnick Vermijl. The 18-year-old is understood to have impressed both Sir Alex Ferguson and reserve-team boss Ole Gunner Solskjaer during trials.

League One: Colchester vs Brighton 0-0.

Serie B: Piacenza vs Reggina 0-0.

Primera Liga: Valencia vs Racing Santander 0-0.

MFA Division Three: Żejtun Cor-inthians vs Sirens 3-0; Naxxar Lions vs Kirkop 0-1.

Swimming: Multiple Olympic champion Michael Phelps broke his own American record in the 200m butterfly on Sunday, winning in 1min 39.65secs at the Maryland State Championships. Phelps set the old mark of 1:39.7 in 2006 at Austin, Texas. "I wanted to go out and take a shot at it," he said. "Coming off the last turn I wanted to stay under as long as I could. That was clearly the difference."

Horse racing: Japan's back-to-back horse of the year Vodka has been forced to retire after suffering a nosebleed in a warm-up race for this month's Dubai World Cup. The Japan Racing Association described the six-year-old mare as a "jewel for Japanese and world horse racing" after hearing of the shock decision to end her racing career. "When we saw she had a nosebleed again after the race the owner (Yuzo Tanimizu) and I decided to retire her," Vodka's trainer Katsuhiko Sumii said.

Tennis: A new sponsorship contract extension between the WTA Tour and Sony Ericsson will ensure financial stability for the global women's tennis circuit through 2012. The deal, which according to Sports Business Journal will bring the WTA a total of $27 million over nearly three years, will drop Sony as the title sponsor as it was in the old six-year deal worth $88 million. The mobile phone company will remain the tour's top global business partner.

Motor racing: Motor racing legend Sir Stirling Moss has undergone surgery in a London hospital after suffering multiple injuries when a lift malfunctioned at his Mayfair home. The 80-year-old, who won 16 grands prix between 1951 and 1961, was admitted to the Royal London Hospital on Saturday evening after falling down three floors in the lift shaft at his home.