Sporting Digest: Football

Emmanuel Petit, the Arsenal midfielder, has pulled out of France's European Championship qualifier against Iceland at Reykjavik on 5 September because he will be having a sinus operation.

Doncaster Rovers, have signed the 33-year-old former Republic of Ireland and Leeds midfielder John Sheridan.

Curtis Fleming, the Middlesbrough defender, is out of the Republic of Ireland squad for the European Championship qualifier against Croatia in Dublin next week, because of a knee ligament injury.

Internazionale's Ronaldo was voted best forward and most valuable player in the 1997-8 European season. Other winners were Peter Schmeichel of Manchester United (best goalkeeper), Real Madrid's Fernando Hierro (best defender), France's Zinedine Zidane of Juventus (best midfielder) and Juventus's Marcello Lippi (best trainer).