SOCCER: PREMIER LEAGUE: Sunderland midfielder David Meyler is facing weeks rather than months on the sidelines after scans revealed he did not rupture his cruciate knee ligament for a second time on Wednesday night.

Manager Steve Bruce had expected to be without the young Irish player for the rest of the season after he was carried from the field at Villa Park in agony. It was feared he suffered a recurrence of the injury which put him out for seven months last year.

However, tests have revealed the ligament is intact and he was consulting his specialist today over the treatment he needs.

“The great news we got late last night is that Meyler has not ruptured the cruciate ligament,” a relieved Bruce said this morning.

“It’s still intact – that’s what the scans have told us, which is great news for us. He has still wrenched his knee horribly. We will know more in the next few hours in terms of time schedules, but he will be out for weeks.”

NATIONS CUP: The FAI have cut ticket prices for the Carling-sponsored Nations Cup game against Wales on February 8th by around 10 per cent, reports Emmet Malone.

Category A seats will now cost €50, with Category B seats €35 each. A number of schoolboy/girl tickets will be sold at €10 each and family tickets (two adults and two children) will cost €90.

Tickets for the game go on sale on Monday through Ticketmaster and the association’s usual outlets, as do those for the game between Northern Ireland and Scotland the following day, which will be priced at €20 apiece.

SETANTA SPORTS CUP: Dundalk's visit to Linfield's Windsor Park has been confirmed for February 14th, reports Emmet Malone.

The much anticipated meeting between the two clubs, whose last competitive meeting was a highly charged European encounter some 30 years ago, will kick of this year’s heavily revamped competition along with Sporting Fingal’s game against Lisburn Distillery in Dublin.

FIXTURES: Monday, February 14th – First Leg: Linfield v Dundalk; Sporting Fingal v Lisburn Distillery; Monday, February 21st – First Leg: Bohemians v Portadown; Cliftonville v St Patrick’s Ath; Monday, February 28th – Second Leg: Dundalk v Linfield; Lisburn Distillery v Sporting Fingal; Tuesday, March 1st – Second Leg: Portadown v Bohemians; St Patrick’s Ath v Cliftonville.

All 7.45 pm kick-offs but this may change in the event of a fixture being televised live.