Rome  - Juventus defender Nicola Legrottaglie will be out for the crucial Champions League tie the Turin side play Tuesday at home against English giants Chelsea, Italian media reported.

"Legrottaglie is unavailable. He did not recover from an injury," Juve coach Claudio Ranieri said Monday. "He did (today's) training session, but doesn't feel confident to play."

The 32-year-old international joins Mali midfielder Mohamed Sissoko, 24, who fractured his left foot at the weekend and is to be operated on Tuesday.

Rome  - Se

Gelsenkirchen, Germany  - Schalke 04 Monday parted company with general manager Andreas Mueller after poor results this season, but Dutch coach Fred Rutten stays on, the Bundesliga club said.

Mueller, 46, leaves the club in Gelsenkirchen after almost 21 years as a player and manager following talks with president Josef Schnusenberg and supervisory board chairman Clemens Toennies.

"Mueller has been relieved of his duties. It's a unanimous decision by the supervisory board," Toennies said.

Rome - Juventus's Mohamed Sissoko is possibly the most illustrious victim in a Serie A weekend that saw several big teams lose players to serious injuries.

Juve coach Claudio Ranieri only fielded the key midfielder late in the game against Torino on Saturday to spare him for Tuesday's Champions League tie with Chelsea.

But the last 10 minutes of the city derby were fatal for the Mali footballer who suffered a fractured left foot - a setback for Juve who remain seven points behind leaders Inter.

London, Mar 9: Ac Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that ace England midfielder David Beckham has exceeded all expectations during his first two months as an club player on the day it was confirmed he will remain with San Siro until June 30.

The England international arrived in Italy in January in what was largely regarded as a publicity stunt by the Serie A club, but has since become an essential part of Ancelotti’s side.