Sporting briefs

Gordon: Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon will not be rushed back into action as he continues his recovery from surgery. The 27-year-old underwent operations on a hernia and his arm after last season drew to a close, and while he is nearing a return, he is unlikely to figure in the club's pre-season campaign until their trip to Portugal later this month.

Millward: Robert Millward, head of Associated Press's global football coverage, died on Thursday aged just 58 of a suspected heart attack. Millward, born in England and based in London, had worked at AP since 1984 and was covering his seventh World Cup finals.

Salzburg: Dutch international David Mendes da Silva has signed a three-year contract with Austrian league side Salzburg. The midfielder, 27, joins Salzburg from Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, with whom he won the Dutch title in 2009.

Neville: Manchester United captain Gary Neville has been ruled out of the club's summer tour because of injury. The 35-year-old defender will remain at Carrington for treatment on a calf problem when the squad leave on Monday for Chicago, in the hope he will be fit for the start of the season.

Saadane: Algeria coach Rabah Saadane has agreed "in principle" to continue as coach of the national team despite the team's World Cup first round elimination. "I have given my agreement in principle to the president of the Algerian football federation (FAF) Mohamed Raouraoua to continue my job as national team coach," said Saadane.

Chelsea: Chelsea have signed teenage defender Tomas Kalas from Czech Republic side Sigma Olomouc. But the 17-year-old centre-back must wait a year before joining the London club after being loaned back to Olomouc.

MotoGP: Former world champion Casey Stoner will leave the Ducati team next season to ride for Honda, the Japanese constructor confirmed yesterday. The 2007 world champion from Australia is currently sixth in the overall MotoGP standings 98 points behind Spanish leader Jorge Lorenzo of Yahama. Stoner, 24, started his MotoGP career in 2006 riding a Honda from the LCR stable before spending four years at Ducati.

Motor Racing: Bruno Senna, nephew of the late Ayrton Senna, has been dropped by his Spanish team Hispania for tomorrow's British Grand Prix. Confirming the decision to dispense with Senna's services Hispania team principal Colin Kolles told the BBC: "The drivers are Sakon Yamamoto and Karun Chandhyok." The team are due to issue a statement on the reasons why they have dropped Senna, who made his F1 debut in Bahrain this season, today.

Rugby Union: Samoan winger Paul Perez has joined Toulon as cover for the injured Christian Loamanu, the French first division side announced yesterday. "I have heard that he is an exceptional player, full of surprises, capable of scoring tries from 80 metres. It is possible that he will be one of the revelations of the season," the Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal told AFP. The 24-year-old, who can also play in the centre, arrives initially for one month but his stay may be extended even if Japanese player Loamanu recovers quickly from his dislocated hip.

Golf: Australia's Greg Norman has pulled out of next week's Open at St Andrews, two years after coming close to winning at the age of 53, organisers confirmed yesterday. The 1986 and 1993 winner, whose decision lets in his fellow Australian Jason Day, has not played a tournament since shoulder surgery in September. He will also not be taking part in the Champions Challenge at the Home of Golf on Wednesday.