Ledley: Celtic have confirmed that Joe Ledley will miss the Premier League title run-in with a hamstring injury. The Wales midfielder admitted he feared his campaign was over after limping off during Sunday’s Old Firm derby at Ibrox.
Sneijder: Wesley Sneijder rubbished reports he will be leaving Inter to join Manchester United in summer. Asked about reports of a move to Old Trafford, Sneijder said: “United are a great club. But I am very happy at Inter and I am not even thinking about leaving.”
Violence: AIK look certain to face league sanctions after their Swedish league match at Syrianska on Monday was abandoned amid violent scenes that saw an assistant referee struck by a flare thrown from the crowd. AIK had gone behind to a Dinko Felic goal in the 19th minute, and the mood turned ugly soon afterwards as the AIK fans reacted violently, throwing hard objects onto the pitch.
Stocker: Switzerland winger Valentin Stocker will miss the remainder of the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign after undergoing surgery on his right knee. The Basel forward tore cruciate ligaments in his knee at the weekend. The club revealed the 22-year-old would be out for seven to eight months which rules him out of the rest of the qualification campaign.
Munich chants: Manchester City will hold a series of behind-the-scenes meetings to determine an appropriate response to Monday night’s repeated chants referring to the Munich air crash by supporters at Blackburn. City’s discussions seem certain to result in further calls to end chanting relating to the Munich crash, in the hope it can be avoided when they play Stoke in the FA Cup final on May 14.
Rugby Union: Jacques Brunel will be named new coach of Italy in the coming days, according to the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR). FIR president Giancarlo Dondi said: “Brunel has not yet signed his contract but will be named as Italy coach in the coming days.” Brunel, currently coach of French Top 14 team Perpignan, will take up his duties after this year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, when the Italian side will be coached by incumbent Nick Mallett.
Boxing: Floyd Mayweather’s scheduled trial on a misdemeanor battery charge was postponed to September 1 by a Las Vegas Justice Court on Monday. Former champion Mayweather is accused after allegedly poking a security guard in the face during a scuffle over parking tickets issued to vehicles around Mayweather’s gated-community home. The 33-year-old former champion faces more serious felony domestic violence charges in another hearing tomorrow that stems from a dispute with former girlfriend Josie Harris and two of their children last September 9.
Commonwealth Games: The chief organiser of the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games had a slipper thrown at him as he arrived at a court yesterday to face graft charges. Suresh Kalmadi, 66, who faces cheating, conspiracy and corruption charges over the awarding of contracts for the Commonwealth Games, appeared unconcerned as the slipper just missed him. Kalmadi’s appearance came after federal police arrested him for his role in awarding a $31 million contract for time-keeping and scoring equipment to Swiss Timing.
Rugby Union: Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll has turned down an invitation to the royal wedding in order to prepare for Leinster’s European Cup clash with Toulouse. O’Driscoll told The Guardian that he had knocked back an invite to attend Friday’s marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey because of pre-match commitments in Dublin. Leinster face Toulouse in the European Cup semi-finals at Lansdowne Road on Saturday. O’Driscoll said his wife, the actress Amy Huberman, would attend the royal nuptials.