Sporting briefs

GOURCUFF: Lyon midfielder Yoann Gourcuff is expected to return to training on Monday, the coach of the Ligue 1 club, Remi Garde, said. The France international injured himself during his side’s 4-1 victory over Troyes on August 18, spraining his right knee and damaging internal lateral ligaments.

STARKOVS: Latvia will travel to Slovakia for their third 2014 World Cup qualifier today without head coach Aleksandrs Starkovs, who is recovering from an appendix operation. “Unfortunately I will not be accompanying the team on this trip,” 57-year-old Starkovs said yesterday. In the absence of Starkovs the team will be steered by his assistant Juris Sevlakovs.

FRITZ OUT: Bundesliga strugglers Werder Bremen are expected to be without captain Clemens Fritz for the next six weeks after the defender tore a groin muscle. The injury happened in training and tests have shown the defender will only be able to return just before the Bundesliga’s winter break begins in December.

BOA MORTE: Former Arsenal winger Luis Boa Morte has signed for Chesterfield The 35-year-old, who played 28 times for Portugal, has agreed to join the Spireites initially until January and he may make his debut against Dagenham tomorrow.

HERNANDEZ: Uruguay striker Abel Hernandez has been ruled out of their World Cup qualifying matches against Argentina and Bolivia. Palermo’s Hernandez has a damaged knee ligament and will miss the matches against Argentina tonight and Bolivia next Tuesday.

BULGARIA: Bulgaria defender Petar Zanev and midfielders Emil Gargorov and Georgi Sarmov have been ruled out of their World Cup qualifier against Denmark today. The trio joined a list of absentees which already includes Veselin Minev and Svetoslav Dyakov, who are suspended.

UEFA U-21: Play-offs, first legs – Slovakia vs Holland 0-2; Spain vs Denmark 5-0.

FRIENDLY: Brazil vs Iraq 6-0.