Australia: Middlesbrough striker Scott McDonald paid for his international goal drought when he was cut from Australia's provisional squad for next month's World Cup. McDonald, Crystal Palace midfielder Nick Carle and Norwegian-based defender Jade North were omitted when coach Pim Verbeek trimmed his provisional squad to 28 players.
Boyd: Celtic denied they were preparing a swoop for Rangers striker Kris Boyd. Reports claimed the Parkhead club were set to offer Boyd £30,000 a week. Celtic wasted no time quashing that speculation: "We can categorically state that Kris Boyd has never been a target for Celtic," a statement said.
Meghni: Algeria midfielder Mourad Meghni has been ruled out of the World Cup due to injury. The Lazio playmaker, an important part of Rabah Saadane's team, had been told that a knee injury he had been carrying will not heal in time for the tournament.
Boca Tour: Leading Australian A-League club Melbourne Victory said it will host Argentina's Boca Juniors in a pre-season friendly in July. The crack Argentine club will take on the two-time A-League champions at Docklands stadium on July 16. It will be Boca's first trip to Australia in its 105-year history.
Brown: New Zealand midfielder Tim Brown is a doubt for next month's World Cup in South Africa after a shoulder injury suffered in the 2-1 loss to Australia. The Wellington Phoenix star fractured his right shoulder in the first half of a hard-fought warm-up match on Monday. Brown, 29, was hospitalised overnight.
Friendlies: Ukraine vs Lithuania 4-0; Georgia vs Cameroon 0-0; Nigeria vs Saudi Arabia 0-0; Greece vs North Korea 2-2; Montenegro vs Albania 0-1; Ireland vs Paraguay 2-1. Playing today - 20.00 Holland vs Mexico; 20.30 Estonia vs Croatia; 21.00 France vs Costa Rica.
Cycling: Spanish track cyclist Toni Tauler, a silver medal winner at the Beijing Olympics, has tested positive for a banned substance. Tauler, 36, a former road cyclist, was tested by the Spanish Cycling Federation before the world championships in Denmark in March.
Darts: Phil Taylor hailed "the proudest day of my life" after he produced two nine-dart finishes to beat James Wade and win the Whyte and Mackay Premier League Darts title on Monday night. Taylor beat Wade 10-8 to take the £125,000 prize, becoming the first player in history to hit two nine-dart finishes in one game. The legendary Stoke player hit his first Premier League nine-darter in the second leg only to repeat the feat in the 15th leg.
Rugby Union: England have just confirmed details for all summer tours until 2018, commencing with a three-Test series against South Africa in 2012. Martin Johnson's side will then visit New Zealand in 2014 and Australia in 2016 before returning to South Africa in 2018. All series will be contested across three Tests. Remaining consistent with all other unions under the International Rugby Board's 10-year schedule, there will be no tours during World Cup years.
Golf: Tiger Woods will return to competition from a recent neck injury at next week's Memorial Tournament. Woods withdrew on the seventh hole of the final round of the Players Championship in his last outing on May 9. He pulled out with an injury that was later determined to be an inflamed joint in his neck. Woods is the defending champion at the Memorial. Last year he collected his fourth career title at the event, shooting rounds of 69-74-68-65. He beat Jim Furyk by a one shot.
Basket, NBA: Dwight Howard had 32 points and 16 rebounds and Jameer Nelson finished with 23 as Orlando Magic stayed alive with a 96-92 overtime win over Boston in game four of their NBA semi-final series. Nelson nailed back-to-back three-pointers in overtime for Orlando who avoided a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference series. The series now shifts back to Orlando for game five tonight. But the Magic are constantly being reminded that no NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit.