Sporting briefs

Iaquinta: Juventus striker Vincenzo Iaquinta has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a tear in his thigh, the Serie A club said yesterday. Iaquinta suffered the injury in training. He is expected to be sidelined for at least three months, the club said.

Micael: Portugal coach Paulo Bento has given FC Porto midfielder Ruben Micael another chance to make his debut for the national side after naming a 23-man squad for upcoming friendlies against Chile and Finland. Micael, 24, has been selected for the squad once before but has yet to play for the national side.

Bartley: Kyle Bartley has been ruled out of Rangers’ League Cup final team against Celtic after suffering suspected medial ligament damage in last night’s defeat by PSV Eindhoven. Bartley will have a scan on his knee over the weekend but he faces several weeks on the sidelines if the initial diagnosis is confirmed.

Manchester derby: The Manchester derby will kick off FA Cup semi-final weekend on April 16, the Football Association have announced. Manchester City will meet Manchester United at 6.15 p.m. at Wembley. The second semi-final between Bolton and Stoke will take place the following day, kick-off 5 p.m.

Keane: West Ham will be without striker Robbie Keane for today’s crunch Premier League clash at London rivals Tottenham. The on-loan Ireland international is ineligible to face his parent club as the Hammers look for their first win at White Hart Lane since 1999. However, manager Avram Grant will be boosted by the return of midfielder Gary O’Neil, who was cup-tied for last weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Stoke.

Davies: An intoxicated woman who drove off the road in a 2009 crash that killed her best friend and seriously injured US forward Charlie Davies was sentenced to two years in prison yesterday. Maria Alejandra Espinoza, who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter , wept as she apologized during a hearing near the federal parkway in Washington where the crash took place 17 months ago.

MFA DIV. Three: Sta Venera vs Gudja 1-1; Qrendi vs Mtarfa 2-2.

League Two: Chesterfield vs Rotherham 5-0; Southend vs Hereford 4-0.

Tennis: Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams has withdrawn from the ATP and WTA Miami tournament with an abdominal injury, organisers said yesterday. Injury-plagued Williams suffered the injury earlier this year at the Australian Open. “I am very sorry to not be playing in the Sony Ericsson Open this year,” Williams said. “It is one of my favourite tournaments on the circuit, especially because it is so close to my home in south Florida.”

Basketball, NBA: Derrick Rose scored 21 points and Britain’s Luol Deng added 19 to spark the Chicago Bulls over New Jersey 84-73 yesterday, putting the Bulls on top of the NBA’s Eastern Conference. The Bulls stretched their win streak to six games, their longest triumphant run in six seasons, while the Nets saw a five-game win sequence, their longest in five years, come to an end in what was their lowest-scoring game of the season. Chicago improved to 49-18, breaking their tie with Boston for the top mark in the East in the fight for a home-court edge in the playoffs.

Cycling: The German team has dropped out of a cycling race in Taiwan this month due to concerns over possible radiation risk caused by the Japanese nuclear crisis. “The cyclists said they were advised by German authorities to avoid visiting the Asia Pacific, not least Taiwan, which is so close to Japan,” said Sara Chen, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Taipei Cycling Association. Among the six team members was Dirk Mueller, a member of Team Nutrixxion Sparkasse and a champion of the 2010 Tour de China.

Cricket: Cricket Australia have decided to tap the Boston Red Sox for tips on uncovering new talent with selector Greg Chappell heading to the United States at the weekend. Chappell, who is also CA’s National Talent Manager, leads a group of Australian cricket officials flying to Florida for a week-long reconnaissance exercise. While there they will meet with Boston Red Sox and University of Texas representatives on a range of topics covering talent identification and player development, CA said.