Button - Title up for grabs

Jenson Button is expecting more twists in the Formula One title race and says he is still firmly in the contention to retain his championship.

With the four races remaining in the season, Button is currently 25 points adrift of championship leader Mark Webber, with three other drivers in between him and the Australian.

Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton are all currently closer to the points leader than Button is.

However, the 30-year-old has seen how quickly the title picture can change in recent races and thinks the tables could turn on any of the five contenders.

"There's still everything to play for because one bad race can cost you a lot of points," Button said.

"That's still a very small gap, and compared to the two in front (Hamilton and Vettel), I'm only four and five points behind, so that is very close.

"Mark and Fernando have a bit of an advantage, but come the next few races, who knows who is going to be on top."

Button is now a clear outsider, though, and will likely have to rely on others to slip up in order to be crowned champion at the end of the season.

He added: "The fact there are still so many involved does makes it more difficult, but it is the same for all of us you could say.

"It also makes it more fun because you don't know who is going to come out on top, who is going to score big. You really don't know who you are watching out for.

"Trying to cover people in a race is tricky because there are four guys you are fighting against."

Eastmond blow for Saints

St Helens scrum-half Kyle Eastmond has been ruled out of the Super League Grand Final clash against Wigan with an ankle injury.

The 21-year-old has been plagued by the injuries recently and has only been able to play four times over the last three months.

He has struggled with the hip, shoulder and ankle problems during that time and picked up damaged ankle ligaments during Saints' play-off semi-final victory against Huddersfield.

His fitness for the final was immediately thrown into doubt and he was unable to recover in time for the showdown at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Despite the setback, coach Mick Potter does not think that Eastmond's absence will be too much of a blow to his side.

"We have got other options - we've got Chris Flannery, Jon Wilkin, Jonny Lomax, Gary Wheeler. There's a multitude of different options we can work with," he said.

"As much as you lose one, I've got plan B, plan C and plan D ready to go."

Experienced Granger hopes to lead the Pacers to playoffs

Danny Granger has compiled an impressive resume over the past few years.

The Indiana Pacers forward won a gold medal with the Team USA at the world championships earlier this month. He averaged 24 points a game last season. He was an All-Star and the NBA's most improved player the year before that.

One thing missing for the sixth-year player is a postseason series win. Granger hasn't even been to the playoffs since his rookie season in 2005-06.

"I need to win," Granger said Monday at the team's media day. "That's my basic thing. Whenever I'm scoring, I really don't care. We need to get this team winning."

Granger is confident that will happen after the Pacers acquired the point guard Darren Collison from New Orleans in a trade last month. Collison averaged 18.8 points and 9.1 assists in 37 starts as a rookie last season while All-Star Chris Paul was sidelined by an injury.

"I was very happy, very excited," Granger said. "I knew he was a very good point guard. I watched him down in New Orleans."

Though the Pacers had to part with veteran power forward Troy Murphy in the deal, Collison solidifies a position that has been a question mark for Indiana in recent seasons.

"The past four years, we've probably had a different point guard every year, so we haven't had consistency at that spot," Granger said. "That's probably the most important spot on the court. Hopefully, Darren will bring us that."

for more: Granger hopes to lead pacers

Almunia, Rooney to miss Champions League through injury

Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia will be replaced by the Lukasz Fabianski for the London club's European Champions League clash against the Partizan Belgrade on Tuesday night, with the Spaniard suffering with an elbow injury.

Almunia sustained the injury while saving a penalty in the English Premier League club's surprise 3-2 home defeat against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday -- a match in which Almunia was also at fault for two of the goals.

The result led to speculation in the British media about whether the Gunners manager Arsene Wenger would replace his goalkeeper anyway for the match in the Serbia. The Spanish star has found himself under regular scrutiny during his six years at the Emirates, following a series of high-profile mistakes on the pitch.

However, Wenger was quick to insist that Almunia was left out because of his injury.

"The keeper is always the easy scapegoat," Wenger told reporters after the match. "But we win together and lose together."

for more news details : Almunia,Rooney to miss champions league

Banned rugby player found dead

Former British professional rugby player Terry Newton, who had tested positive for the human growth hormone, was found dead over the weekend.

"There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death," a spokesman for the Greater Manchester Police said Monday.

His body was found Sunday at his home in Orrell, in Greater Manchester.

British media reports suggested the 31-year old had taken his own life but CNN could not confirm this.

The Rugby Football League banned him for two years in February and the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats fired him. Newton also played for the Bradford Bulls, Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors.

His autobiography, "Coming Clean," said he used human growth hormone to revive his body.

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the news of Terry's untimely death," Rugby Football League Chairman Richard Lewis said.

"This is a personal tragedy and our thoughts are with Terry's partner, his children and his family at this terrible time."

Lampard out of Euro clash

FRANK LAMPARD will miss the Chelsea's Champions League showdown with Marseille tomorrow.

The England midfielder, 32, is expected to be sidelined for a further two weeks while he recovers from the hernia surgery.

Lampard has missed five matches since the operation on August 31 and Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti admits the midfielder needs to rest.

Ancelotti said: "Lampard can't play on Tuesday. We need to have more time than we expected for his rest.

"In a few days there will be an international break and he will be ready for the first game after the break.

"He didn't play with us so I don't think he is able to play for the national team."

Didier Drogba will not feature against his former team as he sits out the last game of a two-match ban.

Chelsea are also without injured Salomon Kalou (thigh) and Yossi Benayoun (calf) but Gael Kakuta has recovered from his back injury.

Beckham makes 1st start for Galaxy, but Red Bulls earn 2-0 win

David Beckham made his first start of the season for the Los Angeles Galaxy in a 2-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls on the Friday night.

Dane Richards and Juan Pablo Angel scored as the Red Bulls (13-8-5) moved into a first-place tie with the Columbus in the Eastern Conference with the win over Los Angeles (15-6-5).

Richards gave New York a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute. Joel Lindpere's 11-yard line drive ricocheted off the left post to Richards, who converted from 7 yards.

Angel scored his 13th goal of the season in the 60th minute on a penalty kick after Galaxy defender Yohance Marshall tripped Richards from behind in the penalty area.

Angel trails Los Angeles' Edson Buddle by one goal in the race for the goal-scoring championship.

Beckham, who played the entire game, had his best chance to score in the 66th minute on a 32-yard free kick. But goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul jumped in front of the left post to punch the ball away. Coundoul finished with three saves for his ninth shutout.

Beckham had played twice in the past two weeks as a substitute since tearing his left Achilles' tendon while with AC Milan in March.

Thierry Henry did not make the trip because of a sprained right knee.

Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez also missed the game with a suspension for accumulating too many yellow cards.

Alabama school board won't change grade for former Kentucky star Eric Bledsoe

The Birmingham school board decided Friday to let the basketball star Eric Bledsoe keep a grade that helped him gain NCAA eligibility to play at the Kentucky.

Superintendent Craig Witherspoon said a teacher claims Bledsoe completed makeup work to justify a higher grade in an algebra course during the 2008-2009 school year. The mark was switched from an "C'' to an "A."

Witherspoon said an investigation found no documentation to justify the improvement. But, he says, an investigation didn't prove that it was improper, either.

Questions have been raised about the high school grades that allowed Bledsoe to qualify with the NCAA to play at the Kentucky. Bledsoe left the Wildcats after one season and is now a rookie with the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers.

Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart said the school maintained its reliance on the high school, the university and the NCAA for initial eligibility.

"At no point was the University of the Kentucky under investigation by the NCAA nor had any reason to believe we were ever under investigation," he said in a statement.

NCAA spokesman Chuck Wynne told the Lexington Herald-Leader the NCAA plans to review the report and work with the Kentucky to determine if there is any impact on Bledsoe's academic standing. The NCAA didn't immediately return an e-mail from The Associated Press.

Kentucky spokesman DeWayne Peevy told AP the school considered the matter closed.

Aggressive approach for Jenson Button

Button and the four other championship contenders are separated by just 24 points heading into the year's long-haul finish as drivers face five fly-away races in Singapore, Japan, Korea, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

It is a mouthwatering prospect which leaves no margin for error as the smallest mistake could have significant consequences when it comes to the final shake-up.

Button, however, also appreciates he can leave no stone unturned in his quest to become the first Briton to win back-to-back titles, and with different teams after claiming the crown with Brawn GP last year.

From his personal perspective, 22 points behind championship leader Mark Webber and 17 adrift of team-mate Lewis Hamilton, Button is relishing his role of hunter this season compared to a year ago when he was the hunted.

"It's a great feeling, it really is," Button told Press Association Sport ahead of this weekend's race around the Marina Bay street circuit in Singapore.

"If you'd have said to me last year, if I'd been 10 points behind, 'you're attacking for the last five races', I would say 'no, I'm not, because I don't have a car to do that'.

"But this year I do. I've a very competitive car, and although the next race will be more tricky for us, I'm attacking and it's exciting.

"I'm not going to sit back and hope for a good result or try and be consistent. I did that over the second half of last year and mentally it's very tough.

"But when you're behind and you're chasing and you have a good car, you can be more aggressive, and for me every race I go into I have to be aggressive. I can't sit back and hope to get good points."

At least Button is relishing the prospect of returning to Singapore this weekend as he feared a year ago his title dreams were slipping away at the Far East venue.

"The end of the year was so tough for me," added Button.

"In Singapore I remember saying on the in-lap in qualifying 'we've thrown this championship away', but this year I go there excited.

"I still finished fifth, even though I qualified 11th. I just won't make it that hard on myself this time.

"But yeah, I'm excited. You've two Brits who are fighting it out, so we should be happy."

The stress levels are one of the noticeable elements considerably different for the 30-year-old, who said: "I don't feel like I'm under any pressure at all, it's quite weird.

Pique: It's harder without Messi!

After a laboured 1-0 victory over Sporting Gijon, Barcelona's Gerard Pique admitted his side needed Lionel Messi.

Pique commented to journalists after the match that the Argentina maestro's absence meant that Barcelona missed a certain flair in attack.

He said: "The three points were very important, as if you want to compete with the teams above you in the table you have to defeat the teams such as Sporting.

"It is clear that some teams come to the Camp Nou to shut up shop, something that their home fans would not allow them to do."

The World Cup winner was adament that his side could still win without Messi, but the team would have to put in more effort.

"The challenge is to always win, with or without Leo [Messi]", Pique added.

"It is true that without Messi, everything becomes more complicated, but we have players who can replace him. He wants to return as soon as possible, whether we win or not, but we need to let him recover, the season is long and we need him."

Messi is still unavailable over the weekend in their next fixture against Athletic Bilbao.