Freak injury: Striker Leroy Lita is doubtful for Reading's Premier League opener at Man. United on Sunday after injuring himself while stretching in bed. The 22-year-old forward suffered the freak mishap before rising and was in so much pain he was forced to miss training. "It is not an injury that should be ridiculed or made light of," Reading manager Steve Coppell said. "Leroy is in a great deal of pain. He woke up and stretched while in bed and he has done something to his leg."
Plesan: Steaua Bucharest have won the race to sign midfielder Mihaita Plesan after seeing off competition from Dinamo Bucharest. Plesan, who has made seven appearances for Romania, is joining on a five-year contract from FC Politechnica Timisoara.
Keepers move: Espanyol have agreed to sell goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz to Athletic Bilbao, and in return are set to take Bilbao keeper Inaki Lafuente on a season-long loan, the UEFA Cup finalists said. Spanish media reported Iraizoz would sign a four-year contract with the Basque side in a move worth around four million euros.
Abedi Pele Jr: Ghana have handed a first call up to the teenage son of former African Footballer of the Year Abedi Pele. Andrew Ayew, 17, who is on the books of Marseille where his father won the European Cup in 1993, was named in a 20-man squad for a friendly against Senegal in London on August 21.
Aleksandrov: Mihail Aleksandrov, the young Bulgarian midfielder who was denied a UK work permit to join Liverpool, is now joining Borussia Dortmund instead. The 18-year-old agreed terms and had looked set to join compatriot Nikolay Mihaylov at Anfield but failed to meet Home Office requirements. "My transfer to Liverpool did not go through as I did not get a work permit," he confirmed. "I was very disappointed with this but now I am looking forward."
World Cup hosts: Three World Cup host cities will be allowed to use proposed name changes on official tournament documents and tickets for the 2010 finals, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) said. Pretoria will now be known as Tshwane, the name of the municipal district containing South Africa's capital, Bloemfontein becomes Manguang and Port Elizabeth will be called Nelson Mandela Bay. The LOC said it had agreed with FIFA that the new names would be used within South Africa. Outside the country, a combination of both the old and new names will be used to avoid confusion.
Scottish League Cup: First round - Dundee vs G. Morton 2-0; Forfar vs Peterhead 0-1; Queen's Park vs Alloa 2-1; Berwick vs Stenhousemuir 3-1 aet; Brechin vs Stirling 0-1; Clyde vs Raith 0-3; Cowdenbeath vs Dumbarton 2-0; Hamilton vs E. Stirling 2-1; Livingston vs Ayr 5-0; Ross County vs Elgin City 3-1.
Friendlies: Yokohama F-Marinos vs Barcelona 0-1; Esbjerg vs Werder Bremen 1-1; Nijmegen vs Getafe 0-1; Paok vs Livorno 1-1; Torino vs Club Brugge 2-1; Walsall vs Aston Villa 1-1; Deportivo vs Atalanta 1-1.