SOCCER SHORTS:MANCHESTER UNITED's hopes of a golden run-in to the season were boosted yesterday when scans revealed that Nemanja Vidic did not suffer knee-ligament damage in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. Vidic (right) has been ruled out for two or three weeks with a minor knee injury.
The Serbia international was forced out of Tuesday night's Champions League quarter-final first leg at Roma after falling awkwardly half-an-hour into the game.
His withdrawal sparked fears of a long-term absence but a scan showed the problem not to be serious.
A club spokesman told Manchester United's official website: "There is no major damage to the left knee, and he will be out for two-three weeks."
Vidic will miss Sunday's Premier League trip to Middlesbrough, Wednesday's Champions League return against Roma and the following weekend's league clash with Arsenal.
He could return to face Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on April 19th, and will hope to play should United reach the Champions League semi-finals.
Tough draw for Ireland U-17s
IRELAND'S UNDER-17 team were last night grouped with France, Switzerland and reigning champions Spain in next month's European Championships in Turkey. Sean McCaffrey's side will open their Group B campaign against France on May 4th before meeting the Swiss three days later and finally Spain on May 10th.
McCaffrey still feels Ireland's chances of progressing to the knock-out remain high as the top two teams in the pool progress for the semi-finals on May 13th. He said: "It's a tough draw but this squad has shown they can defeat the major nations in Europe already this season.
Uefa U-17 Final Draw (Turkey, May 4th-16th):Group A: Turkey, Scotland, Serbia, The Netherlands. Group B: Spain, France, Republic of Ireland, Switzerland.
Mascherano gets additional ban
LIVERPOOL WILL consider an appeal against the additional two-match ban handed to midfielder Javier Mascherano by the Football Association for improper conduct.
The 23-year-old was sent off during Liverpool's Premier League defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on March 23rd and reacted badly to the red card.
Having been booked already for a foul, he was shown a second yellow card in the 44th minute after running 20 metres to referee Steve Bennett to question the booking of striker Fernando Torres.
The Argentina international had to be ushered off the pitch by Liverpool staff and team-mates as he attempted to remonstrate with Bennett. Mascherano picked up an automatic one-match suspension for the red card but is now faced with a ban for a further two Premier League games as well as a €19,000 fine.
He admitted a charge of improper conduct after a personal hearing and has been punished further by the FA, with the additional suspension coming into effect immediately. Mascherano - who missed the derby victory over Everton as a result of the dismissal - will now also miss this weekend's game with Arsenal and the home game with Blackburn on April 13th. Liverpool will consider their options before deciding whether to appeal the decision.
In Brief . . .
MANUEL ALMUNIA(30) has signed a long-term extension to his Arsenal contract and is hoping to finish his career with the club. "I am very happy," said Almunia. "I have extended my contract and I hope to be here for a long, long time" . . .
Middlesbrough striker Midois likely to miss the rest of the season after undergoing a hernia operation . . . Barcelona have denied reports coach Frank Rijkaardwill leave the Camp Nou at the end of the season. A local television station yesterday claimed former Barca midfielder Josep Guardiola, the current coach of the club's B side, would replace Rijkaard in the summer . . . Barnsley's FA Cup semi-final plans were dealt a blow when defender Stephen Foster(27) was ruled out because of injury. Foster, who scored the first goal in the win at Liverpool, is sidelined with a badly bruised foot . . . Celtic have appointed former captain Neil Lennonto the club's coaching staff. Lennon (36) left Celtic last summer and has had spells at Nottingham Forest and Wycombe this season . . . Tottenham have confirmed captain Ledley Kingwill not feature in the final six matches of the Premier League as he continues his recovery from a knee injury he has struggled with all season.
Tonight's fixtures
(7.45 unless stated)
NATIONAL LEAGUE:Premier Division: Bray Wanderers v Finn Harps, Cork City v UCD, Drogheda Utd v Galway Utd, Shamrock Rovers v Bohemians (8.0), St Patrick's Athletic v Derry City. First Division: Monaghan Utd v Athlone Town (8.0), Sporting Fingal v Dundalk, Waterford Utd v Limerick 37, Wexford Youths v Shelbourne (8.0).
ENGLISH LEAGUE TWO:Accrington Stanley v Dagenham & Redbridge, Lincoln City v Milton Keynes Dons.
