Football Briefs: Man City's De Bruyne out for three months with knee injury

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Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne will miss up to three months of action but will not need surgery after scans revealed the full extent of his knee injury, the Premier League club said on Friday.

De Bruyne, who came on as a substitute in City's 2-0 victory over Arsenal in their first league match of the season last weekend, suffered the injury in training this week.

"Manchester City can confirm Kevin De Bruyne has suffered a lateral collateral ligament lesion in his right knee," the club said in a statement.

"No surgery is required and the midfielder is expected to be out for around three months."

De Bruyne scored eight goals and provided 16 assists as City won the league title with a record-breaking 100 points last season.

Fabregas out of Arsenal reunion with leg injury

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas will miss Saturday's Premier League reunion with former club Arsenal due to a leg injury, manager Maurizio Sarri said on Friday.

The Spaniard took a knock to his leg near his knee and is expected to resume training with the squad next week.

"Fabregas is out for this match. I hope he'll be able to feature next week. I'm not sure," Sarri told reporters.

"It's nothing serious but he has a very unusual injury. He has pain near the knee, not in the knee."

Sarri also said he was confident midfielder Eden Hazard would stay at the club this season. British and Spanish media reports have linked the Belgium international with a switch to Real Madrid, following in the footsteps of Thibaut Courtois.

Former Portugal boss Bento named new Korea coach

South Korea named former Portugal boss Paulo Bento as the new coach of the national soccer team on Friday.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced the decision at its headquarters in Seoul, adding that the 49-year-old had signed a four-year contract to take the side through the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The former Portugal midfielder, who lined up against South Korea in their 2002 World Cup match in Incheon, has also managed club sides Sporting, Cruzeiro and Olympiakos.

He was appointed head coach of Chinese side Chongqing Lifan in December but was fired last month with the team sitting 12th in the league and knocked out of the Chinese FA Cup.

During his four-year stint in charge of his native Portugal, Bento led the side to the semi-finals of Euro 2012 but suffered disappointment at the World Cup two years later when they exited at the group stage.

Kim Pan-gon, head of the KFA's national team coach appointment committee, said Bento ticked all the boxes on their wish list and his appointment would help develop Korean football.

"Bento is a fit for South Korean football as he promotes a pressing style of play that doesn't allow opponents to build their attacks and also stifles counterattacks," said Kim.

He added that the committee saw Bento as a coach who exudes "charisma, professionalism, passion and confidence".

Bento's first major task will be to win South Korea's first Asian Cup since 1960, with the tournament taking place in the United Arab Emirates in January.

He will then have to prepare the side for the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifying campaign.

Bento steps in to replace Shin Tae-yong, who took over towards the end of the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign and whose contract expired last month.

Shin had taken over from German Uli Stielike after the German was fired amid a run of poor results that left Korea's chances of qualifying for Russia hanging by a thread.

Shin oversaw a disappointing World Cup campaign in Russia where the Koreans lost to Sweden and Mexico before producing a stunning 2-0 win over defending champions Germany in the final group game.

Bento will be in charge for South Korea's friendlies against Costa Rica and Chile next month.

Juventus veteran Marchisio bids farewell to club after 25 years

Juventus veteran midfielder Claudio Marchisio has ended his contract with the Serie A champions by mutual agreement after 25 years at the club, the Italian side said on Friday.

The 32-year-old, born and raised in Turin, made his professional debut in the second-tier Serie B in 2006 after Juventus were relegated following the Calciopoli corruption scandal.

Marchisio, capped 55 times by Italy, progressed through Juve's youth ranks and only played for one other club, spending a year on loan at Empoli in the 2007-08 season.

"Having had the opportunity to accompany him on this path, to discover a homegrown champion, day by day, was quite simply a privilege and an honour," Juve said in a statement.

Marchisio made a total of 389 appearances in all competitions, scoring 37 goals, and won seven Serie A titles as well as four Italian cups with the club.

"I love this shirt (Juventus) to the point that, after all, I am convinced that the good for the club comes first," the player said on his Instagram account.

Marchisio suffered a series of setbacks following a cruciate ligament injury in his left knee in 2016 which initially left him out of action for six months.

Australia football boss Lowy to step down amid reform battle

Football Federation Australia chairman Steven Lowy said Friday he will not seek re-election later this year, in a shock decision that comes amid a reform battle that could lead to a takeover by FIFA.

The world governing body has been pushing the FFA to expand its membership and adopt a more democratic governance model, or potentially face FIFA taking over the running of the game in Australia.

According to AFP, Lowy, who took over in 2015 after his father Frank Lowy stepped down, said the suggested changes to give domestic A-League clubs more power would hand their foreign owners more control of the game at the expense of grassroots football.

FC Pune City sign Martin Diaz

Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Pune City on Friday announced the signing of the Uruguayan centre back Martin Diaz to strengthen their defence line for the 2018-19 season.

Martin began his senior career with Defensor Sporting in 2008 and later played for Dinamo Bucuresti, CD Badajoz, Montevideo Wanderers, Atletico Rafaela and Liverpool FC in Primera Division.

NorthEast United FC signed him last season where he played 16 games. Martin also captained his national team in 2005 FIFA U17 World Championship.

Excited after joining the club Martin said, "After witnessing what FC Pune City achieved last season, I felt the club was really moving along well. After meeting them, I realised their professional approach to everything in and around the club helped them achieve what they did.

"I am excited to join my new team and equally thrilled about accepting this new challenge."

Delhi Dynamos sign striker Andrija Kaluderovic

Delhi Dynamos FC on Friday signed Serbian forward Andrija Kaluderovic for the upcoming Indian Super League season.

The striker joins the ISL side on the back of finishing as the top scorer for Wellington Phoenix in the Australian League last season.

Kaluderovic's signing takes the Dynamos foreign quota to four players.

The 31-year old Kaluderovic has previously had stints in Serbia, China, Spain, Switzerland, Lithuania and Australia and has scored more than 100 goals in 236 club appearances.

The striker has also been capped thrice by the Serbian national team.

Head coach Josep Gombau is confident that Kaluderovic can replicate his past form in the ISL.

"Andrija is a very intelligent player who is quick and a good finisher. I have seen him play in the Australian league and he has performed consistently well both in the league and the continental cups as well. He has a great mentality and experience which will really help the side," Gombau said in a statement.

The forming Racing Santander forward won the Lithuanian League and Cup double in 2016 with Zalgiris, where he was also the golden boot winner.

"I am excited to have joined a new league and a new team in Delhi Dynamos. The popularity of ISL is for everyone to see and a lot of foreign players are here so I am no stranger to this competition," a delighted Andrija said.