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Injury ends Sidebottom's tour

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 05/03/2010
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England seam bowler Ryan Sidebottom will fly home from Bangladesh after failing to shake off a thigh strain that kept him out of the second one-day international clash on Tuesday.

Team director Andy Flower has confirmed that the 32-year-old will be replaced by Yorkshire's Tim Bresnan for the upcoming Test match in Chittagong that begins on March 12.

Sidebottom played a part in the first ODI on Sunday in Mirpur but picked up the injury that kept him out of England's second and series clinching win last time out.

The selectors have also moved to bring in Middlesex paceman Steven Finn and he will fly out to the Asian country ahead of the opening Test.

The 20-year-old will not feature in the final ODI on Friday despite fellow seamer Stuart Broad missing out with a back injury.

Ajmal Shahzad, also of Yorkshire, is expected to take Broad's place in the side and could make his ODI debut.

Liam Plunkett is available after travelling with the party but Shahzad should be called upon after featuring in England's warm-up games against a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI.

Can England overcome their injury problems and enjoy a successful tour of Bangladesh? - Latest Cricket Betting

In rugby union, Stade Francais prop David Attoub's appeal to reduce a 70-week ban for eye-gouging has been knocked back following an independent appeal committee meeting in London.

He was handed the lengthy ban in January after being found guilty of making contact with the eye or eye area of Ulster's Stephen Ferris during a Heineken Cup match on December 12 last year.

Attoub appealed against the finding of foul play and the level of sanction imposed upon him.

However, it was found that his claim was frivolous and the committee stated he 'had not demonstrated that the original decision had been in error and therefore dismissed the appeal'.

He will be unable to make a return to the game until April 22 of next year.

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has continued his spat with John Terry after accusing the Chelsea and England defender of having 'no moral code'.

Tevez clashed with Terry during City's 4-2 Premier League victory at Stamford Bridge last weekend.

The Argentina striker has also been one of the most outspoken critics of the deposed England captain following allegations that he conducted an affair with his City team-mate Wayne Bridge's ex-girlfriend.

Bridge has since made himself unavailable for England duty and Tevez remains a harsh critic.

Online second favourites to win the Premier League title, Manchester United, still have plenty of transfer funds at their disposal, according to chief executive David Gill.

Gill claims the vast majority of the £80million the Old Trafford club banked from the world record sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid last season remains available to Sir Alex Ferguson should he wish to strengthen his squad.

His comments come at a time when club owners, the Glazer family, are under renewed fire from supporters concerned at the level of debt their 2005 takeover placed on the Premier League champions.

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