Jovetic: Fiorentina midfielder Stevan Jovetic said he will be back in March after a serious injury in pre-season. The 20-year-old damaged cruciate ligaments and was ruled out for two-thirds of the campaign. “I will do everything to return in March,” Jovetic said. “The coach keeps calling me to find out how I am doing. I would like to thank him for that.”
Barton: Promising Preston midfielder Adam Barton has been drafted into the Northern Ireland senior squad for the first time. Barton is a surprise pick by manager Nigel Worthington for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Italy and the Faroe Islands next month. The 20-year-old has been fast-tracked after making six appearances for his club this season.
Zanetti: Javier Zanetti is winning his battle for fitness ahead of Sunday’s crunch match against Juventus. The Inter captain was hospitalised after suffering pain in his chest following the 2-1 win over Palermo on September 19. “I am fine. I am recovered and I hope to be there against Juve,” Zanetti, who has been at the club for 16 years, said.
Holloway: Blackpool manager Ian Holloway has been charged with improper conduct by the FA after confronting referee Mike Dean in the tunnel following the 2-1 loss to Blackburn on Saturday. The Seasiders’ boss was furious Brett Emerton’s winner was allowed to stand despite a suspicion of offside.
Mendes: Portugal international Pedro Mendes has undergone an operation on his injured thigh and will be out for at least six weeks, his club Sporting Lisbon announced. The 30-year-old midfielder has been sidelined since sustaining the injury during a July 29 game against Danish club Nordsjaelland.
In France: League Cup draw – Auxerre vs Bastia; Montpellier vs Ajaccio; Lyon vs PSG; Saint-Etienne vs Bordeaux; Lille vs Caen; Valenciennes vs Boulogne; Guingamp vs Marseille; Monaco vs Lorient. Last 16 games to be played on October 26-27.
MFA Div. Two: Mġarr vs Żebbuġ 0-1; Birżebbuġa vs Gżira 0-0.
Davis Cup: Serbia are undecided about what surface the December 3-5 Davis Cup final will be played on, the Serbian tennis federation said. Serb captain, Bogdan Obradovic, said recently that the choice would depend on whether Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, currently recovering from a knee injury, would play. The December 3-5 match-up pits first-time finalists Serbia against nine-time champions France, who last appeared at this stage of the competition back in 2002.
Cricket: Pakistan’s cricket chief yesterday left for England, where he is expected to meet lawyers in a bid to clear his players of allegations of spot-fixing. “I am leaving for London on an official trip,” Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt told AFP, without giving any details. Reports said Butt and legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi will meet Elizabeth Robertson, the British lawyer representing Pakistani players over the spot-fixing allegations.
Basket, NBA: Don Nelson, the NBA coach with the best all-time winning record, was relieved of his duties and replaced by assistant Keith Smart. Nelson, 70, earned 1,335 wins and 1,063 losses in 31 years of coaching in the NBA. He spent the past four seasons with the Warriors. The Warriors were a disappointing 26-56 last season, finishing with the third worst record in the Western Conference. Nelson had one year left on his six million dollar contract.
Tennis: Belgian qualifier Ruben Bemelmans booked a place in the match of his life yesterday, setting up a second-round contest against Rafael Nadal at the Thailand Open, tomorrow. Bemelmans, a 22-year-old ranked 195th, beat fellow qualifier Frederik Nielsen, of Denmark, 6-2, 6-3 to earn a chance for the first ATP victory of his career. The underdog has lost in three previous top-level matches this season, in Zagreb, Marseille and Halle, Germany.