Football: Scholes out of Cup tie

Paul Scholes has been given his second suspension of the season following his eighth booking against Leicester on Saturday. He will miss Manchester United's FA Cup fifth-round tie against either Tottenham or Barnsley on 15 February and the Premiership match at Aston Villa three days later.

One player United missed out on, Marcelo Salas, has signed a pre-contract agreement for pounds 12m with Lazio. The Italian club announced yesterday they intend to give the 23-year-old Chilean international an eight-year contract - if they can bypass Italian league rules of a maximum five-year deal. Salas, who scored 11 goals in Chile's successful World Cup qualifying campaign, is expected to play for his country in their friendly against England at Wembley next week.

The former Italy and Milan coach, Arrigo Sacchi, has turned down an offer to coach the Spanish champions, Real Madrid, next season. Madrid asked Sacchi to take over from Jupp Heynckes, who inherited the job from the current Milan coach, Fabio Capello. But Sacchi rejected the offer, in part because he wants to work either in France or England, but also because he did not want to take over a squad built by Capello.

Crystal Palace's bid to sign the young Carlisle striker Matt Jansen took on greater urgency yesterday when Neil Shipperley was ruled out for eight weeks following a hernia operation.

Kevin Gallacher will miss Blackburn's Premiership match against Tottenham on Saturday and possibly their FA Cup trip to West Ham, because of an abdominal muscle injury.

Dario Gradi has won the Nationwide League First Division manager of the month award for January. The Crewe manager led his side to four consecutive League wins last month, which saw the club pull clear of the relegation zone.

One of Gradi's players who may be on the way out of Gresty Road is the striker Dele Adebola, for whom Birmingham have made a pounds 900,000 bid.