Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez's gamble to play an "80 percent" fit Fernando Torres paid off when the Spaniard got the first goal in a 2-0 win over Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.
Manchester Untied striker Michael Owen is set for three weeks on the sidelines after suffering a recurrence of a groin problem in the 2-1 Champions League victory over VfL Wolfsburg on Wednesday.
India's campaign at the upcoming Champions Trophy in South Africa received a shot in the arm after opener Gautam Gambhir was cleared to take part in the in the September 22 - October 5 tournament. Gambhir, who was forced to sit out of the just-concluded Compaq Cup tri-series in Sri Lanka, which India won, due to a groin injury, cleared a fitness test on Thursday afternoon and will leave for South Africa along with the rest of the players from Mumbai on Friday.
Australian Open winner Serena Williams has pulled out of next week's German Open in Berlin, the organisers said on Wednesday.
Medium pacer Munaf Patel, who is nursing a groin injury, will leave the tour of Sri Lanka mid-way to return home for rehabilitation and Tamil Nadu paceman Laxmipathy Balaji will replace him in Colombo. Munaf's injury was first noticed after the first ODI in Dambulla, where he bowled five overs and conceded 32 runs without taking any wicket. He missed the second match.
The ace batsman has a groin injury which will also keep him out of the Asia Cup in Pakistan.
'Very disappointed with the result. We all expect the Indian team to play better cricket #INDvAUS.'
South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock was on Sunday named captain of Mumbai Indians following Harbhajan Singh's suspension from Indian Premier League matches for slapping pacer S Sreesanth.
Sports minister M S Gill on Wednesday declined to comment on Sachin Tendulkar's pullout from the Olympic Torch Relay in New Delhi on Thursday, saying the withdrawal was his own decision. "It's Sachin's choice," Gill said when asked to react on the cricketer's pullout. Tendulkar pulled out of the relay after his Indian Premier League (IPL) team, Mumbai Indians, physio A Ijaz advised him to skip the event to avoid aggravating a groin injury.
A final call on the availability of captain Anil Kumble and young speedster Ishant Sharma for the second cricket Test against South Africa will be taken on Wednesday after a fitness assessment of both players.
Team India possess a much more balanced squad in the shortest format.
Joe Burns said India have a skillful bowling attack, spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah, and they have to 'start well' against them.
Dutch winger Arjen Robben will miss Netherlands' opening Euro 2008 Group C match with Italy on Monday after picking up a groin injury during Saturday's training, the Dutch FA (KNVB) said.
South African speedster Dale Steyn, who has been marred by a string of injuries (groin and shoulder), will be returning to competitive cricket in a club game in Cape Town. Steyn will play for Western Province Cricket Club against St Augustine in his bid to prove his fitness for next month's three T20s against Australia ahead the much-important World T20 in India. Steyn, who missed out owing to a groin injury during the tour to India injured his shoulder in the first Test against England and has been out of competitive cricket since close to two months. Despite his injury, the 32-year-old was included in the squad South Africa keeping a replacement ready if he failed to make it. Proteas T20 skipper Faf du Plessis said, "Steyn looks fully fit but a call could only be taken on whether he will travel to the tournament if he gets through the matches against Australia."
Petrova sustained a groin injury before her shock first-round defeat to Akiko Morigami at the French Open last month.
Mumbai Indians are still sweating on the fitness of captain Sachin Tendulkar after the master batsman said on Thursday that his participation in the team's opening match in Mumbai on Sunday is still doubtful. Tendulkar, who was ruled out of the last two Tests against South Africa because of a groin injury, said a decision would be taken before the start of the match against the Bangalore Royal Challengers on Sunday.
India's ace batsman Sachin Tendulkar has pulled out from the Olympic torch relay to be held in New Delhi on Thursday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, on debut, handled his players rather effectively; made good tactical decisions and ensured optimum utilisation of the given resources to secure a series-equalling win at the Green Park on Sunday. The win also meant a successful start to Dhoni's career as a Test captain.
Even before play started on the third day of the third and final Test between India and South Africa at Green Park, there were speculations as regards Anil Kumble.
South Africa hold the psychological edge going into the second Test against an India team weighed down by major fitness issues.
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat against India in the first Test.
Rain has delayed the start of play on the opening day of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday.
Dutch winger Arjen Robben has recovered from a groin injury and is fit to face France in their Group C game at Euro 2008, coach Marco van Basten said on Thursday.
Sachin Tendulkar, who is yet to play his first ball in the Indian Premier League, could feature in the crucial next tie against Chennai, Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput said on Sunday.
The ace batsman said, fitness permitting, he is likely to play in Mumbai Indians' next match against Chennai Super Kings.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat in the Twenty20 World Cup final against Pakistan in Johannesburg on Monday.
Pakistan have recalled all-rounder Azhar Mahmood for the remaining four one-day internationals in South Africa after being faced with an injury crisis.
Former India coach Lalchand Rajput is confident about the ace batsman, who will miss India's third and final Test against South Africa because of a groin injury, being in shape for the IPL toutnament, beginning April 18.
The BCCI said a decision on injured batsman Sachin Tendulkar's availability for India's third and final Test against South Africa will be taken only when the selection committee meets to pick the team.
Goalkeeper Ben Foster will play his first game for Manchester United on Saturday almost three years after signing for the club, manager Alex Ferguson said on Friday. The 24-year-old will make his debut at bottom club Derby County because Edwin van der Sar has a groin injury and Tomasz Kuszczak is suspended following his sending off in last Saturday's FA Cup defeat against Portsmouth.
Trott, who played 68 ODIs and seven T20 matches, has scored 18,662 runs in first class cricket.
Olympique Lyon midfielder Jeremy Toulalan and striker Milan Baros have been left out of the squad to face VfB Stuttgart in a Champions League Group E match on Wednesday.
Images from the football matches played across Europe on Wednesday.
The Tamil Nadu batsman was included in the Indian squad for the fifth ODI against Australia.
The Indian opening batsman is doubtful for Monday's fourth one-dayer against Australia due to a groin injury.
The world record holder made an impressive comeback from injury by winning the 100 metres in 9.90 secs a Golden League meeting.
He is yet to recover from a groin injury and seemed uncertain to play the one-off one-dayer on Saturday.
We look back at how one of the biggest days in Indian cricket panned out...
Pakistan have already lost fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for the four-Test series because of an ankle stress fracture.
South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn will have a scan on a shoulder injury after he twice pulled up in the middle of an over and left the field on the third day of the opening Test against England on Monday.
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