Mikel: Chelsea have issued a claim in the High Court in London against Norwegian club Lyn Oslo and their former chief executive Morgan Andersen over the transfer fee paid for Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel. Andersen was given a one-year suspended sentence last March for forging documents relating to Mikel in 2005.
Polish FA: Poland has removed a government-appointed administrator from the country's football association (PZPN) as part of an agreement to hold PZPN elections on Oct. 30, FIFA said. The move was part of a roadmap agreed by Poland to avoid sanctions and the potential loss of the country's right to co-host Euro 2012 after the sports ministry suspended the PZPN board and put administrator Robert Zawlocki in charge.
Kalou: Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou is a doubtful starter for the Ivory Coast's World Cup qualifier against Madagascar in Abidjan today, officials said. Coach Vahid Halilhodzic gave no details of Kalou's problem but told reporters he was hopeful he might still be able to use the forward.
Buffon: Juventus fans' hopes of seeing Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon return from a leg muscle problem within a month have been dashed by the Serie A club. Italy team doctors said it would take Buffon four weeks to heal from the injury this week. But the 30-year-old would not be fit enough to resume action until several weeks after that healing period.
Pepe: Udinese forward Simone Pepe is set to make his Italy debut in today's Group Eight World Cup qualifier in Bulgaria, coach Marcello Lippi hinted yesterday. "A little Pepe is always good in the national team," Lippi told reporters, making a pun with the player's surname which is also the Italian word for pepper.
Bulgaria: Bulgaria coach Plamen Markov has a selection dilemma with defenders Alexandar Tunchev and Lucio Vagner nursing injuries ahead of the World Cup Group Eight qualifier against champions Italy in Sofia today.
UEFA U-21: Play-offs first legs - Turkey vs Belarus 1-0; Austria vs Finland 2-1; Germany vs France 1-1; Wales vs England 2-3.
Athletics: Former US track star Tim Montgomery, an Olympic gold medalist now banned from the sport, was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison on heroin charges. Montgomery, once known as the fastest man alive, was sentenced in Federal court in Norfolk, Virginia for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, according to a court document. He had pleaded guilty to the charges in July.
Cycling: Italian Leonardo Piepoli's hearing with anti-doping prosecutors about his positive tests for EPO during the Tour de France has been postponed until Oct. 22 at the rider's request, the Italian Olympic Committee said. The hearing was originally scheduled for yesterday.
Motor racing: Team boss Stefano Domenicali said Valentino Rossi will be able to do more tests with Ferrari but added that Italy's six-times premium class motorcycling world champion is unlikely to switch to Formula One. "We have a great relationship with Valentino and we'll definitely give him the chance to be part of our group again," Domenicali said. "But I think he has already decided the path for his future."