Newcastle face Emre absence

Newcastle United FC

Premiership rivals Liverpool FC have signed 17-year-old defender Jack Hobbs from Lincoln City FC of English football's fourth division. After putting pen to paper at Anfield, the centre-back said: "If someone had told me a year ago I would be a Liverpool player now, I wouldn't have believed them. This is unbelievable."

Staying in England, Sunderland AFC striker Kevin Kyle is to have surgery in the United States in a bid to clear up a hip injury. The 24-year-old Scottish international has not played for a year and has already had one operation aimed at solving the problem. Another Scotland player, Everton FC full-back Gary Naysmith, requires a second operation on a troublesome ankle complaint. The 26-year-old will not be fit until the middle of September at the earliest.

Nikola Jurcevic has been unveiled as coach of NK Slaven Koprivnica, the Croatian club who reached the third round of the 2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Predecessor Branko Karacic was sacked after collecting just two points from the first four rounds of the season.

FC Nantes Atlantique are mourning their former striker Oscar Muller who died on Friday at the age of 48. Muller suffered complications after being involved in a traffic accident on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, where he had retired after hanging up his boots. The Argentinian won the French title with Nantes in 1979 and the French Cup two seasons later during a ten-year stay at Stade La Beaujoire. He was also part of the Nantes team that reached the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals in 1979/80.

In Scotland, Motherwell FC goalkeeper Graeme Smith will be unavailable for between four and six weeks after breaking the little finger of his left hand. The 22-year-old only joined Motherwell this summer from Rangers FC.

FC Molenbeek Brussels Strombeek