Cassano recovering: Antonio Cassano, the Italy and AC Milan striker, is on the mend after undergoing “minor” heart surgery in the wake of what Milan doctors are calling a “cerebral event” – what most non-medical people would call a stroke. Cassano became ill on the team’s flight home last weekend from a game in Rome. His vision, speech and movement were reportedly affected. The club said the surgery went well and the striker is expected to return some time in the new year. “Presumably within four, five or six months Cassano should be cleared to play,” AC Milan executive Adriano Galliani said. “Antonio is in a good condition, the lad is fine, but I’m not a doctor. I was very, very worried. His career is not at risk. The doctors say he will need a few months, not too many, although I don’t want to say too much at this stage, maybe in four, five or six months he will be in condition to play. He has told me that he’s upset because he had been playing well.”

On the mend: Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp should be back on the bench in two weeks after having minor heart surgery. The 64-year-old Redknapp had hoped to return for Sunday’s English Premier League game at London rivals Fulham, but has heeded medical advice to rest, and watched the match on television instead. “The manager is recuperating at home after having two stents inserted to unblock coronary arteries on Wednesday,” Spurs said in a statement on Friday. Redknapp told the club website (www.tottenhamhotspur.com): “I am feeling a bit better and as soon as I am ready, I will be back. I’ll take it easy for now and do what the doctor tells me. If I do that, then I won’t have a problem.”

Say sorry: The Carlos Tevez saga goes on and on, and in the latest development it’s Roberto Mancini who blinked. For those who came in late, Mancini, the Manchester City manager, vowed Tevez would never play for the team again after reportedly refusing to go on as a substitute during City’s Champions League loss to Bayern Munich. The Argentine striker has continued to insist he never refused to play, but only declined to warm up because he had already done so. Tevez has been fined two weeks’ wages by City and has threatened to sue Mancini for defamation. Now the City manager, in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, says Tevez can return if he apologizes. “Everything depends on Carlos,” Mancini said. “If he apologizes to the squad and to me, then everything will be as before. If he doesn’t, then Tevez has a value that everyone knows and something will happen in January (when the transfer window opens). He is totally unprepared and being badly advised. I don’t want it to be like this and I would be the first to forgive him.” Tevez said in the summer he wanted out, but City has refused to sell him at a cut rate, and his wages, reported to be about $310,000 Canadian a week, would be a problem for most clubs.

More woes: Mancini faces yet more player unrest after it was reported that midfielder Adam Johnson initially refused to board the team bus after City’s Carling Cup victory at Wolverhampton last week. The winger was said to be upset by the manager’s public criticism of him after the game, in which he scored one goal and set up another. Johnson eventually got on the bus, but the incident only highlighted Mancini’s problems in dealing with the high-priced talent the rich club has attracted. The City manager, however, said that he will not hold back from criticizing the winger, because he thinks the comments will make him a better player in the long run. In a post-game interview, Mancini said Johnson should have run back to stop Wolves’ Stephen Ward from providing a cross for Jamie O’Hara to score. “I am happy he is upset,” Mancini said. “I love Adam. It is like with the children in your family. If you love your children, then sometimes you should be hard with them, and Adam understands this.”

Best league?: The English Premier League likes to advertise itself as “the best league in the world.” If that’s the case, how come TBLITW has only four players on the 23-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or, which goes to the best European-based player? And of those four, Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney is the sole English representative. Between them, Barcelona and Real Madrid have 13 nominated players. Anyway, it’s all for nothing. Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is a cinch to win for the third straight time.

Bum rap: Iran’s soccer federation has suspended two players involved in an “inappropriate” goal celebration and the ultimate punishment could be severe. The federation will issue a final verdict next week on Mohammad Nosrati, who appeared to briefly put his hand between the buttocks of Sheys Rezaei as Persepolis players huddled together to celebrate a goal against Damash Gilan. The gesture might have caused little comment in Europe, but it caused outrage in the Islamic Republic. Jalal Yahyazadeh, a cleric and member of parliament, said the “shameless act” had “upset, angered and outraged” all sports fans and that the sports minister should be held accountable.

No poppies: Those public-relations geniuses at FIFA are getting lots of flak for refusing to allow England to wear poppies on uniforms when they play Spain in an international exhibition next Saturday. FIFA says its rules allow no changes to official jerseys. War veterans have blasted FIFA. George Batt, general secretary of the Normandy Veterans Association in England, condemned the decision, describing it as “disgraceful.” The 86-year-old, who fought in Second World War, said: “I don’t really understand it. I can’t see any harm in wearing a poppy. You surely don’t need rules and regulations in FIFA like this. It’s so sad. ... I’m lost for words. I think it’s a bit childish because, after all is said and done, if it wasn’t for us blokes FIFA wouldn’t be here. They wouldn’t be playing football.”