CORNER

when ribery refused injection 

Rio de Janeiro: France’s star winger Franck Ribery said he refused a cortisone injection that French experts claim could have saved his World Cup place because he believed it was bad for him. Ribery’s comments deepened a battle between the French camp and Bayern Munich on the eve of the country’s opening World Cup Group E match against Honduras. “It’s not good,” Ribery said of the cortisone steroid injection that French team doctor Franck le Gall had wanted him to take to ease his crippling back pain. le Gall said on Thursday that Ribery had withdrawn from the squad because he was afraid of injections. The product used by the German doctor is banned in France.     The 31-year-old Bayern winger said he had simply refused the cortisone injection. “I am not scared of injections. But I did not want to be injected with cortisone by the French doctor. “I know it is not good,” he added. “You can believe me,” he said. 

messi most desired in india

Natal: Argentina’s soccer star lionel Messi has been voted as the most desirable FIFA player by Indian women in a survey. Asked about the most attractive football player in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2014, 59.6 per cent single women voted for Messi in a Shaadi.Com survey. Youth heart throb Cristiano Ronaldocame a close second with 53.4 per cent, while 51.5 per cent women went for Wayne Rooney. The survey also revealed that Brazilian midfielder Ricardo Kaka is considered as the ‘Most Handsome Football Player’ by 49.3 per cent single women, followed by his forward team-mate Neymar Jr and Spanish player Fernando Torres. 

hulk injured, outIJ 

Teresopolis: Brazil striker Hulk left a training session due to a muscle injury in his left leg Sunday but said he expects to be fit to play Mexico on Tuesday in his team’s second World Cup match. Hulk practiced for less than 15 minutes before leaving the field. He said the injury wasn’t serious and “hopefully” it wouldn’t keep him from playing in the next match. “I felt a small discomfort and decided to leave as a precaution,” Hulk said. “I was already thinking about the next match, it’s only two days away and in the World Cup you don’t want to miss any match. I hope to be ready so I can help the national team again.” Hulk said he had the injury before the opening win over Croatia, when he was replaced late in the match, and felt it again after a few shots on goal on Sunday. He walked off the field without a limp, but then sat down on a bench and lowered his head in apparent dismay. Hulk put his hand on his left leg when team medical staff arrived to treat him.