Football: Ravanelli still hopes to be fit for final

Bryan Robson is hopeful that Fabrizio Ravanelli will be fit to play for Middlesbrough in the FA Cup final against Chelsea on Saturday week.

The Italian international striker had a scan yesterday to establish the extent of the hamstring injury he suffered during Monday's 3-3 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Robson, Middlesbrough's manager, revealed the injury was not as serious as first feared. "It's not snapped," he said. "It's not as bad as we first thought and, hopefully, we can get him fit for Wembley."

Ravanelli said: "I was worried when I went to hospital for a scan. I do not know the results of the tests, but I would put my chances of playing at Wembley as 50-50. We will have to wait and see. I will not be fit, though, for our final two Premiership matches."

Jurgen Klinsmann's return to English football is far from certain despite reports that he is set to rejoin Tottenham at the end of the season, sources close to the player said yesterday. The German international captain, who has decided to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season because he is unhappy with the way he has been treated at the club, has had offers to play in Spain, Italy and Turkey as well as England.

Aston Villa will be forced to sell their Serbian midfielder Sasa Curcic to a foreign club if they fail to obtain a new work permit for their pounds 4m record signing. Curcic has not been selected for the number of first-team matches required to guarantee another permit.

Liverpool's Robbie Fowler faces a Football Association misconduct charge after being sent off, along with Everton's David Unsworth, for fighting in the Merseyside derby on 16 April. Fowler appeared to lash out at Unsworth as the pair were leaving the pitch - hence the FA charge, which is likely to lead to a fine.