Man City striker SERGIO AGUERO has been "banned for four matches after his second dismissal for violent conduct this season." Aguero, 28, was "sent off for a high and late challenge on Chelsea defender DAVID LUIZ in Saturday's 3-1 home loss." He will miss Man City's games against Leicester City, Watford, Arsenal and Hull. Man City's FERNANDINHO was also sent off after he clashed with CESC FABREGAS "in the scuffle that followed Aguero's lunge, and the midfielder will serve a three-match ban" (BBC, 12/5). ... MUKESH KUMAR has "blown the chance" to tee up alongside Masters champion DANNY WILLETT, Olympic Gold Medalist JUSTIN ROSE and U.S. Ryder Cup winner PATRICK REED -- "because his passport has expired." India’s 51-year-old Kumar secured his maiden Asian Tour victory at the weekend’s $400,000 Panasonic Open India by one stroke and "became the circuit’s oldest winner in the process." It was the "biggest win of his 32-year professional career and gave him entry" to the $2M Hong Kong Open, co-sanctioned by the European Tour, which begins on Thursday -- "but he can’t travel" (AFP, 12/5). ... Two players from Pakistan cricket side United Bank Ltd. "were injured in a fire that broke out at the Regent Plaza Hotel in Karachi on Monday." In an accident that left at least 11 people dead and 45 injured, YASIM MURTAZA fractured his heel while 20-year-old KARAMAT ALI "suffered a hand injury in a bid to save themselves." Ten players from UBL, along with UMAR AMIN, who plays for Sui Southern Gas Corp., were staying at the hotel for the ongoing super-eight round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (ESPN.com, 12/5).
CHINESE MOVE: Argentine int'l CARLOS TEVEZ could "soon be the latest big-name player to move" to China. Tevez could be the "latest player tempted" as Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua President WU XIAOHUI confirmed that there has "been a breakthrough" in the £635,000 ($808,925)-a-week negotiations. Wu: "We have done a lot of work [on trying to sign Tevez]. And it's safe to say that there has been a definite breakthrough in the negotiations" (THE SUN, 12/5).
