Shearer may need surgery

Newcastle: Newcastle United skipper Alan Shearer may need hernia surgery but the timing of the operation is as yet undecided, the English Premier League club?s manager Graeme Souness said on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old former England captain, who will retire from playing next summer, is trying to delay any operation at least until the break for internationals in the middle of next month.

Despite his groin problem, Shearer has been included in the Newcastle squad that will take on Grimsby Town in a League Cup match on Wednesday.

England striker Michael Owen has been excluded due to hamstring trouble.

Final back in Jeddah

Tokyo: The second leg of this year?s Asian Champions League final has been switched back to Saudi Arabia from neutral Jordan, the AFC said on Tuesday. The second game between Saudi holders Al Ittihad and UAE side Al Ain has also been delayed from October 31 to November 5 to avoid clashing with the end of Ramazan.

AFC officials had taken the unusual step of moving the game from Jeddah to Amman only 48 hours earlier.

The first leg will go ahead as scheduled in Al Ain on October 26 with the second leg in Jeddah as initially planned.

Roma fined 25000 euros

Rome: AS Roma were fined 25,000 euros by the Italian football league on Tuesday after a referee was hit by a coin thrown from the stands during the derby against Lazio on Sunday. The incident took place when Lazio won a free kick close to Roma?s area in the 74th minute.

As referee Gianluca Paparesta positioned the ball he came under a hail of plastic bottles and coins, one of which hit him on the side of the face. He suffered only a minor cut and the match resumed, eventually finishing 1-1.

Plans on to buy Indian Wells meet

New York: US Tennis Association officials approved a plan on Monday to purchase IMG?s 50 per cent interest in the ATP and WTA tournament in Indian Wells, California, in order to assure it stays in the US.

The USTA board of directors approved joining an investor group as well as devoting resources to help market and promote the Pacific Life Open. The USTA also has the option to increase its stake over the next six years.

5 guilty of doping

Rome: A judge in a Sanremo court found five Italian riders and a masseur guilty on Monday of doping offences during the 2001 Giro d?Italia.

Giuseppe Di Grande, Alberto Elli and Dario Frigo each received six-month suspended sentences and fines of 4,000 euros. Domenico Romano and Ermanno Brignoli were handed suspended sentences of five months 20 days and one month 10 days, respectively. Primo Pregnolato, personal masseur to Marco Pantani, received an eight-month suspended sentence and a 6,000 euro fine.

Midland test driver

London: Dutchman Nicky Pastorelli will be Midland?s official test and Friday driver next season, the Formula One team said on Monday. The 22-year-old was already a test driver this year for Jordan, the team Midland replaces next year.

Midland, owned by billionaire Alex Shnaider, have yet to name their drivers for 2006. Indian Narain Karthikeyan and Portugal?s Tiago Monteiro drove for Jordan this year.