Sport News In Brief
Ronaldo tests positive for Covid-19
Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Portuguese Football Federation has announced.
The 35-year-old has left Portugal’s training group, where he had been preparing for a Nations League match with Sweden on Wednesday evening, and has begun a period of self-isolation at home.
Ronaldo experienced no symptoms and posted a photograph on social media on Monday evening showing himself having dinner together with the rest of the Portuguese squad. “Together on and off the field!” the caption read. However the entire squad was tested following their captain’s positive result and all came back negative.
Ronaldo played in both of Portugal’s first two games over the international break, starting against Spain in
Lisbon before playing the entire Nations League match against France in Paris on the weekend. Ronaldo will miss Juventus’s Serie A match against Crutone on Saturday as well as their first Champions League date with Dinamo Kiev, but he should be available for a meeting with his old rival Lionel Messi when Juve play Barcelona in Turin on 28 October.
In a statement, the Portuguese Football Federation said: “Cristiano Ronaldo was released from the work of the National Team after a positive test for COVID-19, so he will not face Sweden.
“The Portuguese international is doing well, without symptoms, and in isolation. Following the positive case, the remaining players underwent new tests this Tuesday morning, all with a negative result, and are available to [manager] Fernando Santos for training this afternoon.”
Bronze back in England squad
Right back Lucy Bronze returned to the England squad after missing last month's training camp due to an injury as coach Phil Neville named a 28-player squad on Tuesday ahead of the friendly against Germany later this month.
Bronze, who signed for Women's Super League side Manchester City this season, withdrew from September's training camp after she picked up a knock in the goalless draw against Brighton & Hove Albion.
The 28-year-old will be joined by Olympique Lyonnais forward Nikita Parris, who also returns to the national squad after missing the previous camp due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
England will be back in action for the first time in more than seven months when they face Germany on Oct. 27 at the Brita-Arena in Wiesbaden behind closed doors.
The Lionesses last played in the SheBelieves Cup in March, where defeats by hosts United States and Spain condemned them to a third-place finish in the four-team tournament.
Sagan grabs stage victory amid Giro chaos
Peter Sagan won the hilly 10th stage of the Giro d’Italia, which was contested Tuesday despite two teams withdrawing from the race because of coronavirus cases. Sagan, a three-time world champion who is racing the Giro for the first time, was desperate for a win after three second-place results in the race. He now has won stages in all three Grand Tours — the Giro (1), Tour de France (12) and Spanish Vuelta (4).
And the Slovakian rider did it in style on Tuesday, getting into an early breakaway and then launching a solo uphill attack in the final stages on roads made treacherous by rain. It was Sagan’s first win of the season. “Finally I won in my style — with a show,” Sagan said.
Portuguese rider Joao Almeida held onto the overall leader’s pink jersey. The race was disrupted before the stage when the Mitchelton-Scott and Jumbo-Visma teams withdrew.
Four Mitchelton-Scott staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. That came after Mitchelton-Scott team leader Simon Yates withdrew before Saturday’s eighth stage after also contracting COVID-19.
Dutch contender Steven Kruijswijk of Jumbo-Visma and Australian rider Michael Matthews of Team Sunweb also tested positive amid 571 exams for all riders and staff members coinciding with Monday’s rest day. Kruijswijk, Matthews and Mitchelton-Scott were withdrawn from the event in accordance with race organizers. Jumbo-Visma then announced minutes before the stage started that it was withdrawing the rest of its team, too.
But the stage started as scheduled and Sagan needed just over four hours to complete the 177-kilometer (110-mile) leg from Lanciano to Tortoreto in the central Abruzzo region.
Chilwell and Trippier out of England squad
England full-backs Kieran Trippier and Ben Chilwell have left the squad ahead of Wednesday's Nations League clash with Denmark, the Football Association has announced.
The PA news agency understands Chilwell has returned to Chelsea for assessment on a pre-existing injury, while Atletico Madrid defender Trippier departed due to a personal matter.
Trippier captained England in their 3-0 friendly win over Wales last week and also started the 2-1 victory against Belgium.
Chilwell did not feature in either match having breached Covid-19 guidelines when he reportedly attended a surprise birthday party for club-mate Tammy Abraham last weekend.
Savage part of new-look Macclesfield after local businessman completes takeover
Robbie Savage is part of a group led by local businessman Robert Smethurst who has acquired the assets of Macclesfield Town, with a new club being relaunched as Macclesfield FC.
Savage, the former Leicester, Birmingham, Blackburn and Wales midfielder turned broadcaster, is an associate of Smethurst and will be involved on the board, as well as in a head of football role.
The Silkmen were wound up in the High Court and expelled from the National League last month, following unpaid debts of more than £500,000.
Players and staff were made redundant in the wake of the ruling but Smethurst plans to rebuild a new club at Moss Rose after acquiring the assets of the old club.
Smethurst added that Danny Whitaker will remain as manager of Macclesfield FC, who aim to compete in the North West Counties Football League next season.
"This is an extremely exciting opportunity to rebuild a historic football club for Macclesfield and the surrounding areas and I want to ensure that we bring the footballing heartbeat back to the local community," said Smethurst in a statement.
"My vision over the months and years is to rebuild the club, pitch and stadium facilities and to re-invest the income generated from that back into creating a first team and into a club overall.
"I am passionate about building a secure business model and strong commercial foundation so the past issues the club has experienced will not happen again."