Earlier this month, Bolt finished his football trial at Central Coast Mariners in Australia and will leave the club after failing to agree on commercial terms, the A-League side said on Friday.
* Police in Buenos Aires have closed All Boys stadium after their fans attacked police with guns and weapons resulting in 18 injuries and three arrests, officials said on Thursday. Trouble flared on Wednesday night after the home side lost 3-2 to Atlanta as police tried to calm violent clashes led by All Boys barra brava, the name given to the radical organised fan groups.
* Mick McCarthy is set to return as manager of Ireland's national soccer team, national broadcaster RTE reported on Thursday. McCarthy led the side from 1996-2002, taking them to the World Cup last 16 in his final year, although the build-up to the tournament was marred by a public row with team captain Roy Keane in Saipan. McCarthy resigned in November, 2002.
* Brighton & Hove Albion's midfield duo of Pascal Gross and Davy Propper have recovered from ankle issues and are in contention for Saturday's Premier League clash against Leicester City, manager Chris Hughton said on Thursday. Gross last featured for Brighton in their 2-2 home draw with Fulham in September, missing the next eight league games due to injury but Hughton was pleased to note that the influential German was firing on all cylinders in training.
* Leicester City boss Claude Puel believes the international break helped his players come to terms with the death of club chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha last month and they are ready to fully focus on soccer again, the Frenchman said on Thursday.
* West Ham United's Andy Carroll and Jack Wilshere have shaken off their respective ankle problems and are available for Saturday's Premier League clash with champions Manchester City, manager Manuel Pellegrini said on Thursday. Striker Carroll has not played this season after sustaining an ankle injury in pre-season while midfielder Wilshere, who arrived from Arsenal in the transfer window, has been limited to four starts with a similar problem that required surgery.
* League Champions of China, Japan and Australia are set for premature showdowns in group stage of Asia's elite clubs' competition, according to the draw of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League 2019 made on Thursday. Shanghai SIPG, who ended the seven-year reign of Guangzhou Evergrade in Chinese Super League, will meet with Japanese league champion Kawasaki Frontale and Sydney FC, who ranked 1st in the regular season of the Australian league. The three teams will be joined by a play-off winner, most likely from the Republic of Korea.
* Polish driver Robert Kubica, whose Formula One career seemed over when he partially severed his right forearm in 2011, will make his race comeback with Williams next season, the team announced on Thursday. The 33-year-old, who won the Canadian Grand Prix with BMW Sauber in 2008, will partner British rookie George Russell at a once-dominant team that has fallen on hard times and is currently last in the standings.
* Home favourite Cameron Smith rolled in a birdie putt on the last hole to give Australia a share of the lead with England and the Republic of Korea after the first round of the US$7 million World Cup of Golf in Melbourne on Thursday. On a blustery day at Metropolitan Golf Club, the baby-faced 25-year-old combined with Marc Leishman for a 10-under-par 62 in the opening round of four-balls, boosting the home nation's hopes of a sixth title in the 28-nation team event.
* Forward Sadio Mane has agreed a new long-term contract with Liverpool, the Premier League club said on Thursday. The Senegal international, 26, joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2016 for 34 million pounds (US$43.8 million) and has scored 40 goals in 89 games for the Anfield club.
* Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen could be back in contention for Tottenham Hotspur's home Premier League clash with Chelsea on Saturday after recovering from a hamstring injury. Manager Mauricio Pochettino said at a news conference on Thursday that Vertonghen, who has been out of action since September, was back in training but fellow central defender Davinson Sanchez was still out, also with a hamstring problem.
