Lille deal for injured Debuchy

LOSC Lille Métropole

Stade Rennais FC defender Erik Edman could be out of action for two months with a broken ankle, placing his participation in this summer's FIFA World Cup in doubt. The 27-year-old Swedish international was hurt in training last week, bringing an end to a successful first term with the French club. He has made 26 Ligue 1 appearances since leaving Tottenham Hotspur FC last summer.

Redevelopment work on Real Zaragoza's La Romareda stadium will begin on 17 April after the local council agreed to help fund the project and lease the stadium to the northern Spanish side for another 40 years. Zaragoza will continue to play at their home of 49 years until the current arena has been transformed into a new 43,000-capacity stadium by 2008.

Moldova forward Viorel Frunza has left Romanian outfit SC Vaslui to join FC Dacia Chisinau in his homeland. The 26-year-old will link up with international team-mate Adrian Sosnovski at Dacia, though an attempt to bring FC Alania Vladikavkaz and Moldova striker Serguei Dadu to the club has failed.

The Belgian Football Association's control committee will meet for a hearing into the match-fixing allegations surrounding K. Lierse SK on 19 April. The case has been handed over after the association's investigations committee concluded its inquiries. As well as representatives of the club, several players past and present will be called to attend the hearing.

In Scotland, Dunfermline Athletic FC midfielder Lee Makel, 33, will miss the rest of the season with a foot injury while Dundee United FC might be without goalkeeper Derek Stillie for the same period after the 32-year-old broke a finger in Sunday's 4-1 home defeat by Rangers FC.

In international news, Scotland and Bulgaria are to play in a three-team friendly tournament in Japan next month. The event will see Bulgaria take on Japan on 9 May in Osaka and then meet Scotland two days later in Kobe. The tournament will end in Saitama on 13 May when Scotland encounter the Asian team, who will use the matches as warm-ups for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Japan coach Zico, who will also lead his side in a friendly against Malta on 4 June, said: "We will take these games very seriously and I want our players to prepare well."

Azerbaijan have named a youthful squad to play Turkey in a friendly a week on Wednesday, not least because they are without established forwards Zaur Tagizade, Farrukh Ismaylov and Samir Aliyev. "It is an honour to face the team that finished third at the last World Cup," said coach Shakhin Diniyev, as he gears up for UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying. "It will be a good test for our young squad."

AFC Ajax have awarded a two-year contract to 18-year-old striker Rydell Poepon. The Dutch Under-19 international joined the Amsterdam club two summers ago from amateur side Zeeburgia. Also in the Netherlands, RKC Waalwijk have signed Tim Janssen on a four-year deal from PSV Eindhoven. The 20-year-old forward has played 16 games on loan at second-division FC Eindhoven this term.