Ferguson: Sir Alex Ferguson could face punishment from the Premier League after the Manchester United manager maintained his stance of not giving interviews to the BBC. Ferguson was expected to end his six-year boycott of speaking to the British television network when United played at Fulham yesterday but assistant manager Michael Phelan was made available to provide comments.
Sidibe: Stoke striker Mamady Sidibe is set to miss the rest of the season after suffering a serious Achilles injury in his side’s 2-1 defeat against Tottenham on Saturday. Sidibe was carried off towards the end of the Premier League match at the Britannia Stadium and Stoke boss Tony Pulis doesn’t expect the 30-year-old Malian to play again this season. “It’s a cruel blow for Mama because it appears he has snapped his Achilles,” Pulis said.
Ben Arfa: French coach Laurent Blanc confirmed yesterday that want-away Marseille star Hatem Ben Arfa, who is keen on joining Newcastle, would certainly be in line for selection for Euro 2012 qualifiers next month despite his uncertain club future. Asked if the on-off transfer saga might affect his availability for France, Blanc said: “Not selectable? Says who? Ben Arfa has been pre-selected for matches in September. He is a good lad.”
Bobek: Stjepan Bobek, the all-time top goal scorer for the Yugoslavia football team, died yesterday at the age of 87, the Tanjug news agency reported. Bobek, born in 1923 in Zagreb, spent most of his career with Partizan Belgrade (1946-59) and scored 38 goals in his 63 international appearances for the then-Yugoslavia. The striker was a member of the Yugoslav team that took part in the 1950 and 1954 World Cups, and won silver medals at both the 1948 and 1952 Olympic Games.
Carlos Eduardo: Brazilian Carlos Eduardo is set to leave Bundesliga side Hoffenheim and is expected to join Russian Premier League champions Rubin Kazan, it was revealed yesterday. The 23-year-old midfielder was not selected for the Hoffenheim squad which beat Werder Bremen 4-1 on Saturday and is expected to be sold before the transfer window closes on August 31.
Forster: Newcastle goalkeeper Fraser Forster is poised to complete a loan switch to Celtic subject to a medical today after watching the Parkhead club’s 4-0 victory over St Mirren yesterday. Celtic manager Neil Lennon sounded out his Norwich counterpart Paul Lambert, where Forster has previously been on loan, before deciding on a signing that will place pressure on current first choice Lukasz Zaluska.
Boxing: Russian giant and former WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev is taking six months off boxing to recover from a bone problem which could threaten his career, his doctor said. The 37-year-old, who lost his WBA title to Britain’s David Haye last November, will have an operation on his left shoulder and right hand next month which will keep him out of boxing for at least six months.
Rugby Union: Fullback Francois Steyn is set to join struggling South Africa when they start preparing for two Tri-Nations home fixtures against Australia. Steyn played for French club Racing Metro on Friday after recovering from a thigh injury and Springbok manager Andy Marinos said he would travel to Pretoria, where the August 28 first Test against the Wallabies will be staged.
Volleyball: The Dominican Republic upset the odds yesterday after they stunned European champions Italy in a narrow victory at the World Grand Prix women’s volleyball tournament. The 23-25, 32-30, 25-22, 22-25, 15-13 win meant the Dominican side finished the three-week qualifying competition with three wins and six defeats. In the last match, European silver medallists the Netherlands edged past Japan 25-19, 22-25, 38-36, 16-25, 15-11 for a 5-4 win-loss record.