Messi: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi missed his side’s La Liga goalless draw against Malaga yesterday after being taken ill. “Leo Messi has been ruled out of the game versus Málaga at the last minute,” the league champions said. “The striker was not feeling well and had vomited, making him unavailable for the match.” The five-times World Player of the Year has suffered frequent stomach problems in the past, and has been seen vomiting before and during games.
Paris SG: Paris St Germain suffered a double injury scare when they warmed up for their Champions League clash at Arsenal with a 2-0 home win against Nantes in Ligue 1 yesterday. Angel Di Maria netted the first goal, his first in the league this season, in the opening half before limping off with a suspected thigh injury. Di Maria’s Argentine compatriot Javier Pastore sustained a knee problem in stoppage time.
Violence: Colombia striker Miguel Angel Borja has called on authorities to beef up security after he narrowly escaped being slashed by a female fan following Atletico Nacional’s triumph in the Colombian Cup final on Friday night. “A woman came on the pitch with a blade when they were taking photos of me and my family,” he told Colombia’s Caracol radio station. “It was a scratch and it has left a mark. Luckily God protected me and it wasn’t more serious.”
Jeonbuk: Leonardo scored twice in seven minutes as South Korea’s Jeonbuk Motors came from behind to beat Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates 2-1 in the first leg of the Asian Champions League final yesterday. The Brazilian forward lashed home an equaliser from outside the box in the 70th minute and converted a penalty to give the 2006 champions the edge ahead of the second leg on November 26.
Hart: Joe Hart has revealed he opted to join Torino on loan from Manchester City due to the lack of options available to him. “To be honest, it all happened very quickly and I didn’t have many options,” Hart told Turin-based newspaper La Stampa. “If I am here, then it is because there was nowhere else for me to go.”