Milan: Milan have completed the signing of Greece defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Genoa. The Rossoneri have confirmed Gianmarco Zigoni, Nnamdi Oduamadi and Rodney Strasser have gone the other way in a co-ownership deal as part of the transfer. Reports suggest Milan have also shelled out five million euros for the 22-year-old.
Nani: Nani is ready to return to action for Manchester United after making a swift return from a dislocated collarbone. He is now hoping to get a run-out against Philadelphia Union tonight. "I just started training with the team three days ago," Nani said. "I am feeling good now. I am hoping to play a little bit this week."
South Korea: The coach of South Korean club Gyeongnam FC said he has been picked to take over the national team. Cho Kwang-Rae told Yonhap news agency he has been offered the job by the Korean FA, following the resignation of Huh Jung-Moo. The KFA said its technical committee would meet today to select a new coach but declined to confirm it would be Cho.
Carroll: Newcastle striker Andy Carroll has been handed the club's famous number nine shirt for the new season. The 21-year-old will follow in the footsteps of club legends Alan Shearer, Jackie Milburn and Malcolm Macdonald after being rewarded for his 19-goal contribution to the club's return to the Barclays Premier League.
Sponsors: Nationwide have confirmed they will not be renewing their sponsorship of the England team. The move had been widely predicted over the last couple of weeks, leaving the FA to find a new partner just three weeks before a friendly with Hungary at Wembley where swathes of empty seats are anticipated following the disappointing World Cup performance.
Golf: Darren Clarke was unveiled as the 'third man' to help Europe try to win back the Ryder Cup in Wales on October 1-3. Captain Colin Montgomerie will have three assistants and while Ireland's Paul McGinley and Dane Thomas Bjorn were expected Clarke is a surprise announcement not least because he might yet force himself onto the team. But the 41-year-old Ulsterman, hero of the 2006 victory only a month after his wife Heather died of breast cancer, has agreed to come on board.
Tennis: British Tennis is set to become the 28th sport to submit itself to scrutiny by UK Sport in the build-up to the Olympics. The Lawn Tennis Association have approached the body responsible for overseeing the majority of the country's Olympic sports in a bid to boost their chances of success in the build-up to London 2012. UK Sport confirmed the news at their Mission 2012 progress briefing as they announced British Olympic sports had never been better placed to succeed with just over two years to go before the Games.
Rugby Union: South Africa have brought on winger Gia Aplon as one of four changes to their starting side for the Tri-Nations clash with the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday. The Springboks have called up Aplon, scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar, flanker Ryan Kankowski and prop BJ Botha as they look to recover from two consecutive losses to New Zealand. South Africa are already without first choice rower Bakkies Botha, who was banned after headbutting New Zealand half-back Jimmy Cowan in their opening Tri-Nations match.
Basketball: Russia forward Andrei Kirilenko, who plays for Utah Jazz, announced his decision to miss the World Championship. Kirilenko said: "Together with Utah we decided that I should miss the event to recover completely after an injury. It was very hard for me to take this decision but I had no other choice." Kirilenko said it was his personal decision to miss the worlds, which is due to take place in Turkey from August 29 till September 12, while the Utah management were not forcing him to withdraw.