Sporting briefs

WILLIAMS: Fulham have confirmed the signing of teenage striker George Williams from MK Dons. The 16-year-old, capped by Wales Under-17s, has already broken into the MK Dons first team, becoming the club’s youngest ever goalscorer in the FA Cup last season.

LEAGUE CUP: Last year’s Blue Square Bet Premier winners Fleetwood will welcome Nottingham Forest to Highbury for their first ever Capital One Cup tie. Micky Mellon’s side, who smashed the 100-point barrier on their way to the title, host Forest in the most eye-catching contest of round one which will begin the week commencing August 13. Wolves start life under manager Stale Solbakken by welcoming Aldershot.

AJACCIO: French club Ajaccio announced Wednesday that coach Olivier Pantaloni had left the club, despite keeping the team in the top flight last season. “The club will comment in the morning on the departure of Olivier Pantaloni, the coach of the first team since February 2009,” said a statement on the team website. Pantaloni, 45, was a player at Ajaccio from 1994 until 2000 before joining the coaching staff.

CORINTHIANS: Corinthians surprised compatriots Santos as they claimed a 1-0 away win in the first leg of their Copa Libertadores semi-final. Emerson Sheik netted the only goal of the game, helping the Brazilian league winners take a slender advantage over the defending champions. Corinthians, who have made a disappointing start to their domestic campaign, will have a great chance to seal a place in the final in the second leg next Wednesday.

RAPE CLAIM: Lyon’s French international striker Bafetimbi Gomis and Cesena player Yohan Benalouane will be confronted by a woman who has levelled rape accusations at them, police said. The two footballers have been in police custody since late Wednesday after the 38-year-old woman claimed she was gang raped by the pair at Gomis’s apartment on Tuesday.