Maradona 'on drip': Diego Maradona has returned to an intensive-care ward with breathing difficulties less than a week after discharging himself following 12 days in hospital with heart and lung problems, medical officials said yesterday.Shorts
Maradona's personal doctor Alfredo Cahe said the 43-year-old would be in hospital "for two or three days for a check-up". Local media said he was on a drip and with an oxygen mask.
Officials at the Suizo-Argentina clinic, where he had previously been treated, would only confirm Maradona was in intensive care.
Local television went live to the Buenos Aires clinic, where hundreds of fans had last month held a day and night vigil, broadcasting footage of a private ambulance they said had brought Maradona in before dawn.
The former World Cup winner was first taken ill with a swollen heart on April 18th after watching his beloved Boca Juniors play. He was heavily sedated and put on artificial respiration, prompting local media to prepare his obituary.
Kilbane for surgery: David Moyes has almost certainly ruled Kevin Kilbane out of the Republic of Ireland's four end-of-season matches and also declared that Everton's current position "embarrasses" him.
Scottish defender Gary Naysmith had a successful hernia operation yesterday, while Kilbane will have a month's complete rest but is now almost certain to have a summer operation to cure a chronic ankle problem.
The fact Kilbane has already seen his campaign halted by a hamstring problem means his season has come to a painful, frustrating end.
Moyes wants to make sure Kilbane is fully fit for the start of the next campaign. If the winger does have surgery he will be pulled out of Brian Kerr's squad for matches against Romania (May 27th), Nigeria (May 29th), Jamaica (June 2nd) and Holland (June 5th).
Physio Mick Rathbone told the club website: "Kevin has got a chronic ankle problem, which has developed over the past three or four years, whereby when he really strikes a ball hard he gets pain deep in his ankle.
"There are a couple of little pieces of bone which have grown in the past few years and they may need fishing out in the summer."
Larsson at a loss: Henrik Larsson will be happy to leave behind a side of Scottish football he admits has sickened him. The Celtic striker will bring the curtain down on his seven-year Parkhead career with a farewell match against Seville on May 25th.
He will be sad to go but has expressed his relief at leaving behind the abuse that is hurled at his team-mates - and in particular Neil Lennon - at grounds around Scotland.
"It's scary to see," he said. "We are only footballers. We play football but other than that we are just the same as everyone else.
"I don't understand it. You don't know the guy. Why would you hate somebody you don't know?
"The hatred you encounter in some of the grounds that you go to is just frightening, especially when you see a grown man standing next to a kid and throwing verbal abuse at you."
Leeds hold fire: The man at the centre of the latest Leeds United takeover speculation remained silent yesterday amid rumours of an improved £30 million bid.
Lifelong fan Steve Parkin is believed to have tabled a new offer to seize control of the relegated Elland Road club. Leeds managing director David Richmond yesterday gave Parkin a deadline of next week to provide proof that he had the means to take the club forward.
But the current board's delay on deciding the future of caretaker-manager Eddie Gray may stem from their belief that an acceptable offer is imminent.
LuaLua set to return: Lomana LuaLua could yet play again for Newcastle this season after the Magpies reached an agreement with Portsmouth to recall him from his loan spell at Fratton Park; it is understood United are waiting for a decision from the 23-year-old striker as they deal with their injury crisis.
LuaLua has proved a central figure in Pompey's successful battle for Premiership survival, but Craig Bellamy's hamstring injury and the fact Alan Shearer and Shola Ameobi are one booking away from European bans heading into tonight's UEFA Cup semi-final clash with Marseille, have left Bobby Robson short.
Zidane owns up: Just over a month before Euro 2004 kicks off, France and Real Madrid midfielder Zinedine Zidane has conceded that he is playing his worst football for five years.
"For the last month and a half I have been going through a bad period," the world player of the year said at a news conference yesterday.
"Without a doubt these are the worst days I've had since joining Real Madrid (in 2001).
"I think it's a mental problem. I'm going through a bad patch at the moment and I just have to get over it. It happened to me back in the 1998-1999 season when I was at Juventus after France won the World Cup. I felt equally bad then."
