Udinese: Udinese have suffered a double blow ahead of Thursday’s Europa League last 32 encounter against PAOK Salonika with midfielder Mauricio Isla and striker Antonio Di Natale out injured. Both players got hurt during Saturday’s league loss to Milan. The players are likely to be sidelined for at least three weeks.

Sporting: Sporting Lisbon sacked coach Domingos Paciencia yesterday and replaced him with Ricardo Sa Pinto after the club slid to their fourth successive defeat at the weekend. Sa Pinto, 39, has been promoted from coaching the junior side and given a contract up till the summer of 2013.

Pompey: Portsmouth are facing a 10-point deduction after announcing their intention to seek administration yesterday. It would be the second time in as many years the south coast club has gone into administration. Pompey face a winding-up hearing next week over an unpaid tax bill and have not been able to pay their players for January.

Cameron: British Prime Minister David Cameron is set to enter the row on racism within English football by calling a Downing Street meeting to discuss the issue. Cameron and Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt are to hold a “round table discussion” with football officials and players’ representatives later this month.

Empoli: Empoli sacked coach Guido Carboni and brought in Alfredo Aglietti. The Serie B strugglers fell 3-2 to Reggina on Saturday afternoon and slipped into the relegation zone. Aglietti was fired by Empoli on October 1. Bepi Pillon had started coaching Empoli at the start of the season.

Egypt riots: An Egyptian parliamentary inquiry blamed police negligence for a football riot that killed more than 70 fans earlier this month. The preliminary report said police at the stadium in the Mediterranean city of Port Said downplayed the potential for riots, even as fans sensing impending violence left the stadium.

Villa woes: Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish was yesterday coming to terms with the prospect of being without two of his key defenders for several weeks. McLeish was dealt a blow on Saturday when Ciaran Clark damaged knee ligaments in training. As if that was not bad enough, Richard Dunne appeared to dislocate his right shoulder in the dying stages of Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Manchester City.

Friendly: Malta U-19 vs Bulgaria U-17 0-1.

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