Manuel Pellegrini may discover on Sunday if he has lost Matija Nastasic for the start of the season after the defender suffered an ankle injury in Manchester City's 1-0 Asia Trophy win over Sunderland at the Hong Kong Stadium. The central defender had to be taken off on a stretcher during the second half and Nastasic may need a scan when the club return to Manchester.
Pellegrini said: "I can't tell you now the full extent of the injury. He has to see the doctor when we arrive back in Manchester on Sunday and we will know then."
The City manager played down the suggestion that the sodden pitch, which has been an issue throughout the tournament, was at fault. "The best option is to wait," he said. "It was his ankle, a kick rather than the way he landed on the pitch, and the injury was part of the game, rather than the pitch. Playing on this pitch was not easy, but we always tried to play, not with high balls, but passing the ball." Jamie Jackson
Liverpool rebut sale talkLiverpool have denied the club has been put up for sale by its American owners. Fenway Sports Group, headed by Liverpool's principal owner John W Henry, was reported to be ready to consider offers for the Premier League club. The Sun has reported Liverpool is "unofficially" on the market with a price tag of £350m, but Liverpool and their owners state that is not the case.
Anfield said in a statement: "Fenway Sports Group has made its position clear, Liverpool Football Club is not for sale. There is no truth in this story."
A spokesperson for Fenway said: "Like so many rumours in the past about a sale of Liverpool Football Club, there is absolutely no truth in this. We have had no meetings with anyone about a sale, we don't know who the source of the rumour is, and any suggestion of a sale is fabrication." Staff
Napoli get their manReal Madrid have confirmed the ¤40m sale of Gonzalo Higuaín to the Italian club Napoli. The 25-year-old Argentina international had been one of Arsenal's high-profile summer transfer targets, but instead moves to Serie A. PA
Dortmund's supermenA Marco Reus double helped Borussia Dortmund lift the German Super Cup with a 4-2 win over Bayern Munich, who had coach Pep Guardiola in charge for his first competitive game. Reuters
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