Dortmund’s Erling Haaland out with hip muscle injury
DORTMUND, Oct 22: Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland will be out for “a couple of weeks” with a hip muscle injury, coach Marco Rose said Friday. “Time to focus on my recovery. I’ll be back stronger!” the Norwegian wrote on Instagram with a “soon” emoji. Haaland returned only last week from another muscle injury, scoring twice in a 3-1 win over Mainz before playing the whole game in Dortmund’s 4-0 loss to Ajax in the Champions League on Tuesday. “Erling will be out, we’ll be without him for a couple of weeks even. He has a hip flexor injury which simply doesn’t make it possible for him to play,” Rose said. “It’s the same thigh, but another location.” (AP)
Real Madrid forward Benzema faces verdict in blackmail trial
VERSAILLES, Oct 22: A French court trying an alleged blackmail case involving Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema and four other defendants expects to render its verdict on Friday. Benzema hasn’t been attending the trial that opened Wednesday in Versailles and is scheduled to wrap up Friday. He is charged with complicity in the alleged attempt in 2015 to blackmail France teammate Mathieu Valbuena over a sex tape thought to have been stolen from his mobile phone. Prosecutors asked Thursday that Benzema be fined 75,000 euros, the maximum allowed on the charge, and be given a suspended 10-month jail term. The law allows for a maximum of 5 years imprisonment. (AP)
Man City fan attacked after CL game in stable condition
BRUGGE, Oct 22: The Manchester City supporter who was attacked on his way home from the team’s Champions League match against Club Brugge in Belgium has been upgraded to “stable” condition though he remains in a coma, prosecutors said. Five men were arrested after the incident that left the 63-year-old City fan, who is Belgian, hospitalized after being attacked in a parking lot at a service station late Tuesday after City’s 5-1 win. One suspect was charged with theft with violence and theft with aggravated violence, another with intentional beatings and incapacitating injuries, and all five with culpable negligence, the East Flanders prosecutor’s office said in a statement. (AP)
Winther takes 1-shot lead after 1st round in Mallorca
Santa Ponsa, Oct 22: Jeff Winther shot an 8-under 62 to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the Mallorca Open. The Danish player had 10 birdies and two bogeys at the Santa Ponsa course. Two players were tied for second Niklas Lemke of Sweden and Bryce Easton of South Africa, who carded 63s for the lowest rounds of their European Tour careers. Five players were another shot back in a tie for fourth place, including Spaniards Jorge Campillo and lvaro Quir s. The Mallorca Open is the third and final event of the European Tour’s Spain swing. (AP)
Sakkari, Halep advance in Moscow; Rublev ousted
Moscow, Oct 22: Maria Sakkari clinched a spot at the WTA Finals for the first time by reaching the quarterfinals at the Kremlin Cup when Anna Kalinskaya retired with an illness in the second set. The third-seeded Sakkari, became the first Greek woman to qualify for the season-ending event for the top eight players. Former champion Simona Halep also advanced by beating Veronika Kudermetova 6-1, 7-6 (4) and Anett Kontaveit ousted Andrea Petkovic 6-1, 6-4. In men’s, Adrian Mannarino beat defending champion Andrey Rublev of Russia 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals. Aslan Karatsev advanced by beating Egor Gerasimov 6-4, 6-3 to set up a quarterfinal against Gilles Simon, who beat American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-2. (AP)