FOOTBALL: FOOTBALL IN BRIEF - BBC TO SHOW ROONEY'S CUP RETURN

Wayne Rooney's return to Everton with Manchester United will be one of the fifth-round FA Cup ties shown live on BBC1. The game, scheduled for Saturday 19 February, will kick off at 5.30pm. Arsenal's game against Sheffield United or West Ham is also live on BBC1 on the same day at 12.30. The Lancashire derby between Burnley and Blackburn will be shown live on Sunday 20 February, kicking off at 1.40pm.

The Republic of Ireland are to host China and Italy at Lansdowne Road. Brian Kerr's side will face China on 29 March, three days after the Republic play Israel in a World Cup qualifier in Tel Aviv. Italy will visit on 17 August, as a warm-up to the qualifying matches in the autumn.

The Lithuanian businessman Vladimir Romanov has taken effective control of Hearts after buying a 19.6 per cent stake in the club. Romanov was one of the founders of the Lithuanian champions, Kaunas, and said in September he would bring in the former Russian manager, Anatoly Byshovets, as sporting director if he gained control.

Juventus' general director, Luciano Moggi, has revealed the club came close to signing striker Adrian Mutu last summer. The Romanian international could have arrived in Turin last summer had Chelsea and Juve reached an agreement. "We'd asked for Mutu to be loaned to us in the summer," Moggi said. "Everything was done, but Chelsea did not respect the verbal agreement."