Ranocchia: Inter were dealt a blow yesterday with the news that Andrea Ranocchia has suffered a sprained knee ligament. The young centre-back was forced off during the second half of Wednesday’s game at the San Siro. Italian press reports suggest he will be out for two to three weeks.
Kraft: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Thomas Kraft has said he will not stay with the Bavarian giants if Germany star Manuel Neuer joins the German champions from rivals Schalke 04. Kraft, whose contract expires in June, told Bild: “If Neuer comes, then I will go. It wouldn’t make any sense to stay.”
Napoli: Three Napoli fans were lightly hurt when a barrier collapsed during their side’s Europa League game at Villarreal. The incident occurred in the 18th minute , when Napoli’s Marek Hamsik ran towards the away fans to celebrate his opening goal. The three injured fans suffered cuts and bruises.
Konan: Hanover’s Ivory Coast international forward Didier Ya Konan is likely to be out for around two weeks with a knee injury. “He will be out for at least 10 days, maybe even more,” said Hanover coach Mirko Slomka, who revealed that the player would consult specialists after a recurrence of pain in his right knee.
Rugby Union: England international Danny Cipriani is under investigation by his Australian Super 15 team Melbourne Rebels over an alleged nightclub incident. Reports said that management of the 161 nightclub in Melbourne asked the high-profile English recruit to leave the venue in the early hours of last Saturday following the Rebels’ 43-0 loss in their debut Super 15 match against the NSW Waratahs. Police were not called to the incident, team officials said.
Cricket: Fans queueing to buy tickets for England’s World Cup match against India clashed with police outside the stadium in Bangalore. Policemen used force against a crowd of many thousands, after the 7,500 tickets on sale for Sunday’s match ran out yesterday morning. It was reported that at least two people were taken to hospital, but M Chinnaswamy Stadium security officer Ratnakar Salunke confirmed the admissions were as a result of exhaustion after many hours queueing rather than injury caused by violence.
Basketball: Carmelo Anthony era in New York started off on the right note as he finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds on Wednesday as the Knicks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 114-108. Anthony, wearing No. 7, made only 10 of 25 shots but was most effective in the closing minutes. He nailed a pair of clutch baskets, helping New York hold on after team-mate Amare Stoudemire fouled out at Madison Square Garden. “I’m just glad I got this game out of my system,” Anthony said. “It has been hectic.”
Athletics: Two-time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva will miss the European indoor athletics championships in Paris next month because of a virus infection, the country’s head coach Valentin Maslakov said. “Unfortunately Yelena (Isinbayeva) has caught a virus infection and will have to miss the indoor championships in Paris,” Maslakov said. “She decided to avoid any risks and undergo a complete course of treatment before starting her preparations for the world athletic championships in Daegu, Korea.”