Barthez may risk his French place

Fabien Barthez could miss France's friendly against Australia next month - and jeopardise his international career.

Barthez will sit out Manchester United's Champions League game against Lille this evening with an ear infection and Alex Ferguson claims he is doubtful for the game in Melbourne in 10 days.

France coach Roger Lemerre is threatening to axe any player who misses the game, even if they are injured.

"It would be sad if medical certificates arrived," said Lemerre. "That would mean to me that there are players who do not want to play for their country."

Lemerre has defied United, Arsenal and Chelsea by naming a full-strength squad. He went on to accuse the clubs of stoking up the controversy to extract compensation from the French and Australian federations.

The clubs were angry about losing players to a mid-season friendly on the other side of the world and Arsenal, who have four players in the squad, organised a petition of protest to FIFA signed by 12 European clubs.

The France squad includes Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires, Thierry Henry and Sylvain Wiltord from Arsenal, Barthez and Mikael Silvestre from Manchester United and Chelsea's Emmanuel Petit and Marcel Desailly.

Australia have also said they will pick whom they want, which could mean call-ups for Leeds' Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka and Middlesbrough's Mark Schwarzer.

Middlesbrough have lost their appeal against Paul Ince's sending-off in the Premiership clash with Sunderland.

The FA's video advisory panel supported the decision by the referee Mark Halsey which followed a clash between the Middlesbrough captain and Sunderland's Niall Quinn.

Ince will serve a three-match ban beginning with the Premiership match at Aston Villa on November 17th.

The Leeds midfielder Lee Bowyer will undergo surgery on Friday after breaking his nose during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Manchester United. Despite the surgery it is anticipated he will be able to play in the Premiership match with Tottenham at Elland Road on Sunday.

The former West Ham defender Igor Stimac was detained overnight by police on suspicion of assault and battery in his home town of Split in Croatia, police said yesterday. Stimac, 34, was arrested by police late on Monday at Split airport as he was returning from a league match with his current club Hajduk Split. The Croatian international, who owns a disco in Split, is accused of beating the owner of a competing bar. Stimac denied the accusations.

The former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf is to retire from international football after next year's World Cup finals.

Crystal Palace yesterday agreed a £650,000 sterling fee with Middlesbrough for Steve Vickers and are discussing personal terms with the centre-back.

West Brom have signed the Southampton striker Uwe Rosler on loan after ending their interest in Sunderland's Danny Dichio.

Hertha Berlin's German midfielder Sebastian Deisler is to join Bayern Munich next season.

Fabrizio Ravanelli's agent has admitted he "misinterpreted" the feelings of the Derby striker when making comments on the player's behalf to a reporter.

The back pages of several of yesterday's newspapers carried comments the Italian marksman was said to have made in the wake of his bust-up with Chelsea's Marcel Desailly following Sunday's Premiership match at Pride Park.

But it has now emerged comments attributed to Ravanelli, which included branding the Chelsea a "bunch of amateurs", came from football agent Gianni Paladini and not the Derby centre-forward.