Sporting briefs

Lescott: Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott will miss today's clash against former club Everton with a hamstring injury which could keep him out for up to six weeks. The 27-year-old international, who has nine caps, could also struggle to make England's World Cup squad.

Cech: Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is fit to return for today's Premier League game at bottom club Portsmouth but defender Branislav Ivanovic will be sidelined for a month. Czech Republic keeper Cech has been out since he injured his calf and was carried off on a stretcher in the Champions League last-16 first leg match at Inter on Feb. 24.

Nurnberg: Nurnberg will be allowed to sell only a limited number of tickets for their away games in Freiburg and Hamburg after their supporters caused trouble at a recent match against Bochum. Eight fans were injured when fireworks and flares were lit inside the visiting supporters' block prior to the Bundesliga fixture at the Ruhr Stadion.

Chivu: Inter defender Cristian Chivu is poised to become one of the first outfield soccer players to sport headgear in a match after recovering from a fractured skull. The Romania captain suffered the injury in a clash of heads in a Serie A match on Jan. 6 but is now back in full training and was named in the league leaders' squad for today's home game with Livorno.

Sandro: Tottenham reached an agreement with Internacional to sign their international defensive midfielder Sandro for next season, the Brazilian club said. The 21-year-old, who earned one cap as a substitute against Chile in a World Cup qualifier last September, is in London for medical tests.

Pitch invasion: The Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) handed CSKA Sofia a 4-0 defeat following a pitch invasion during their league match at Lokomotiv Mezdra at the weekend. The BFU had also ruled on Monday that CSKA should play their next three home matches at a neutral ground and pay a fine of $10,370 for the riot in Mezdra.

Golf: Michelle Wie, the 20-year-old US star who collected her first pro triumph last November, has signed a deal with McDonald's that will launch next month with a five-language ad campaign. Wie, a Hawaiian LPGA Tour star of Korean heritage, will support McDonald's USA's education and community-based programmes.

Rugby Union: Former All Blacks loose forward Sione Lauaki has pleaded guilty to assault in a Hamilton court and been remanded on bail, his Super 14 team said. The 28-year-old Lauaki, who played 17 tests for the All Blacks from 2005-2008, was expected to reappear in court on May 6. Lauaki's guilty plea related to an incident at a bar in Hamilton on March 5.

Basket, NBA: The Utah Jazz put the brakes on Boston's bid for a fifth successive win with a 110-97 victory over the Atlantic division leaders. The Jazz were hammered 105-86 by the Celtics on Nov. 11 but turned the tables on the back of 22 points and 11 assists from Deron Williams and 23 points from C.J. Miles.