England batsman Eoin Morgan said he was happy to turn his back on his beloved Manchester United to realise his cricket World Cup dream.
Morgan was summoned to replace the injured Kevin Pietersen in the England squad, which means he had to ditch plans to watch United tackle Marseille in the Champions League at Old Trafford next Tuesday.
“I wanted to go to the match. But that plan has now been cancelled. I will have to watch it on television instead,” said Morgan.
Arteta injury blow for Toffees
Everton playmaker Mikel Arteta faces several weeks on the sidelines after limping out of the Toffees’ 1-1 draw with Birmingham.
Spanish midfielder Arteta was substituted within the opening 10 minutes of Wednesday’s drab Premier League encounter which ended 1-1.
Arteta left the field with what looked like a hamstring injury, and his likely absence gives Everton manager David Moyes another headache with Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill already on the casualty list.
“It looks like a hamstring injury,” Moyes told evertonfc.com.
“It’s too early to say – I’m not sure but I’m guessing he will be out for a few weeks.”
Lennon won’t quit Celtic over threats
Celtic manager Neil Lennon will not walk out on the club despite receiving several sinister threats this season, his agent Martin Reilly said.
Lennon, who is likely to face disciplinary action over last week’s touchline bust-up with Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist, has had bullets and a suspicious package sent to him this year.
However, Reilly is adamant that Lennon will remain at Celtic Park and that quitting was not on the agenda. “He was a winner as a player and he’s a winner as a manager,” Reilly told BBC Scotland’s Sportsound programme.
“As far as quitting as a manager goes, it’s not in his nature.”
Klopp not interested in Bayern job
Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has ruled himself out of the soon-to-be vacant top job at Bayern Munich, where coach Louis van Gaal is set to leave at the end of the season.
“If Bayern ring me, then I will tell them that I have a contract at Dortmund until 2014,” Klopp, 43, told Bild.
Klopp, who has guided his team to a 12-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga, lost out on becoming Bayern coach in 2008 when ex-Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann was appointed trainer of the Bavarian giants.
The German media have been scrambling to predict who will succeed Van Gaal and Turkey coach Guus Hiddink, ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss Martin Jol and current Germany coach Joachim Loew have been linked to the job.
No charges for Cole over air gun
Chelsea full-back Ashley Cole will escape prosecution for shooting a work placement student with an air gun at the club’s training ground.
Police sources said officers were “highly unlikely” to pursue investigations any further after contacting the Premier League club.
Tom Cowan, 21, was accidentally hit by a pellet from a .22 air gun brought into the training ground by Cole on February 20. But the sports science student has no plans to press charges against Cole.
The decision comes after Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti angrily hit out at calls for Cole to be disciplined, adding: “What do we have to do now – kill him?”
QPR face FA disciplinary action
Promotion-chasing English second division side QPR face disciplinary action over claims the club breached FA rules regarding third-party ownership of agents.
The FA said in a statement that QPR had been charged in connection with the signing of Alejandro Faurlin, who joined the club in 2009 for around £3.5 million.
Rangers have been charged with agreeing a deal with a third party for the player’s economic rights and failing to notify the FA of the arrangement before registering Faurlin.
Rangers are also accused of using or seeking to pay an unauthorised agent in relation to Faurlin’s registration.
Club official Gianni Paladini has also been charged, along with Rangers, over allegedly false documents sent to the FA last year regarding Faurlin’s contract extension.
Adriano happy about Brazil return
Brazilian striker Adriano has claimed his future is in Brazil despite being linked with a move to the Premier League.
The 29-year-old joined Roma in the summer but after just five appearances for the club, his three-year deal was terminated this week.
However, Adriano said in an interview to Corriere dello Sport: “The choice to return to Brazil is the right one.
“I have two children, I am with the mother of my children and I miss them a lot. Each time I call them I feel like crying.
“I was unlucky at Roma but perhaps it was a sign from God to tell me that it would be better for me to return to Brazil.”