AC MILAN will have to wait until Monday to find out if striker Alexandre Pato will be fit to play in the Champions League return leg against Manchester United.
The Brazil international sustained a hamstring strain during Sunday’s 3-1 win against Atalanta.
Pato will miss Saturday’s Serie A game at Roma and remains doubtful for the clash at Old Trafford next Wednesday.
Milan will leave it until the last minute before they travel to make a decision on the player’s fitness.
Leonardo’s Milan must overturn a 3-2 deficit if they are to progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Pato has been in superb form for Milan this season, scoring 12 goals in Serie A and two in the Champions League.
Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel will miss most of the rest of the season after breaking his right foot in the Europa League. While Skrtel doesn’t need surgery after fracturing a metatarsal during his team’s win over Unirea Urziceni, Liverpool said they expects the recovery process to keep him out “for up to eight weeks”.
Chievo Verona coach Domenico Di Carlo and Parma forward Davide Lanzafame have become the first professionals to be suspended as a result of Italian football’s “blasphemy” crackdown.
Di Carlo was banned from the dugout for Sunday’s match at Bari after the Italian Soccer League said in a statement yesterday that he uttered a “blasphemous expression” during the 2-1 home win over Cagliari last weekend.
Lanzafame was also banned for Sunday’s trip to Siena after committing the same offence in Parma’s 1-0 win over Sampdoria. Italian referees were told last week to give red cards to players they hear blaspheming.
Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk has agreed a two-year contract extension through to summer 2012.
Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone has suffered damage to his ankle ligaments and will visit a specialist this week to determine how long he will be sidelined and whether his World Cup hopes are in jeopardy. The 23-year-old picked up the injury in the victory over Everton.
Chelsea midfielder Deco hopes to leave the club this summer and return to his native Brazil.
