Ortega given No 10 shirt after Fifa refuses 'retirement'
World Cup in brief
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Your support makes all the difference.* Ariel Ortega will wear Argentina's No 10 shirt at the World Cup finals after football's world governing body, Fifa, barred them from retiring the shirt in honour of their former captain Diego Maradona. Argentina are also upset by Japan's refusal to allow Maradona into the country during the finals because of his drugs offences as a player. Maradona, who will be commentating for Argentinian television, is being allowed into South Korea.
* Andreas Andersson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored two goals apiece as Sweden's "reserves" beat the club side Miyazaki 5-2 in a friendly in Japan yesterday. The coaches Lars Lagerback and Tommy Soderberg gave a run out to the players who did not start Saturday's 1-1 draw with Japan. Monaco's Pontus Farnerud scored Sweden's fifth goal. Sweden, who are England's first Group F opponents on Sunday, reported no serious injury worries after the match.
* Portugal's squad received mixed news on their latest injury worries yesterday. Armando Petit, who hurt his spine in Saturday's friendly win over China, has no serious damage, but Paulo Sousa, who damaged his right thigh muscle in the same game, is likely to miss at least one of his side's group matches.
* Uruguay arrived in South Korea yesterday with injury worries over the midfielder Fabian O'Neill, who has tendinitis, and the midfielder Marcelo Romero, who has an an ankle problem.
* Slovenia's leading scorer Zlatko Zahovic caused concern over the weekend when he was taken to hospital complaining of kidney pains.
* The Nigeria defender Celestine Babayaro, who has been receiving treatment for a thigh injury from Chelsea's medical staff in London, will join up with the rest of the squad on Thursday, according to his father.
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