Mutu: Juventus striker Adrian Mutu will miss Romania's friendly against Nigeria today because of a leg injury. "Mutu has strained his right leg muscle during a training session and he will be sidelined for the next three days," a team spokesman said yesterday.

Still Unfit: Gary Neville and Roy Keane are still some way short of full fitness after injury problems, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said yesterday. Both experienced players have been out of action since September and Ferguson is desperate to restore them to his side to boost their faltering Premier League and Champions League campaigns.

Rijkaard: Frank Rijkaard says Barca's glittering form will count for little when they meet Real Madrid on Saturday. "We are playing well at the moment, but this is always a very special game and there are a lot of tiny details that can decide a match like this," said the Dutch coach. "People say that we have got the better team, but everyone knows that games like this are won because of attitude. These are games where courage and pride are crucial."

Orban: Hungary's soccer-mad former prime minister Viktor Orban, 42, is going for promotion on two fronts - coaching his ex-club Felcsut while eyeing a return to power in next year's elections. Orban, who has a coaching licence, will take charge of Felcsut for their final match before the winter break against Budakalasz on Saturday after the second division side sacked Laszlo Nagy. Orban, a former midfielder, played for Felcsut when they were in the third division last season.

Oliveira: Real Betis's Brazilian international forward Ricardo Oliveira looks certain to miss next year's World Cup finals after tests carried out yesterday revealed he had torn ligaments in his right knee. Club doctors said the 25-year-old would undergo surgery within the course of the next week and would be out of action for around six months. Oliveira, who was Betis's leading scorer with 22 goals last season, sustained the injury during his side's 1-0 Champions League victory over Chelsea at the beginning of the month.

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