Swansea striker Michu out for six weeks

 Swansea City striker Michu faces ankle surgery that will rule him out for six weeks and may push the injury-hit Welsh club to seek a replacement in the January transfer window.

The Spaniard underwent a scan on his injured ankle after missing Sunday's 2-1 home defeat by Everton. The 27-year-old, who has scored six goals in all competitions this season, has had ankle and knee problems in recent months.

"It's not good news," manager Michael Laudrup told the club website (www.swanseacity.net) on Tuesday. "Unfortunately it has been confirmed that he will need an operation.

"The good news is that it can be done in the next week - and he should be back playing in around a month and a half.

"But what has happened in the last couple of weeks has changed things. We will probably do something now - in January - and try to add something that we don't have in certain positions," said Laudrup.

"The numbers are a bit down and that is risky for the last four months of the season."

Laudrup said he could sign Spanish forward Iago Aspas, 26, on loan from Liverpool.

"He is an interesting player but he is at Liverpool and they have injuries as well so that might not be possible," he added. "We are looking at other options."

Swansea, 11th in the Premier League, face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Thursday. They then travel to Aston Villa on Saturday before hosting free-scoring Manchester City on Jan. 1.

The club have received a boost after Welsh defender Ben Davies, 20, signed a new contract until 2017.

Laudrup said: "He's a very positive story. Not just for us but for Welsh football in general because it must be nice to see one of your own coming through.

"He came in and took his chance and the rest is history. He is doing well, playing for the national team and is still young."

Champions League draw reaction

Reaction to Monday's Champions League last 16 draw:

Manchester City v Barcelona

Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain told Sky Sports: "It's very tough, but we are happy because we are here and we will fight for the trophy.

"It's a wonderful draw and these are two big teams so it's going to be great, great matches.

"The last game we played in Munich, winning against the champions of Europe [Bayern Munich] and that has given us a lot of confidence. We have shown we can score in all matches."

Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta said to Canal Plus: "It's a tie of exceptional quality to get the competition going again in February.

"They are two teams that attack very well and have a huge amount of talent right from the goalkeepers through to the forward line.

"It seems like it will be a match with everything and it is going to be a tough fight."



Olympiakos Piraeus v Manchester United

Olympiakos coach Michel said: "We are excited and enthusiastic about playing Manchester United at Old Trafford.

"It's a nice destination for our fans and our team to go to. United are a massive club and have a great team so we are expecting two very tough matches.

"We aim to continue our strong performances in this competition in order to stay in it as long as we can."



Manchester United club secretary John Alexander said to Sky Sports: "Once we knew the five possible opponents we were quite relaxed and whoever came out of the pot would have been a good lot for us.

"Manchester United are a very popular club in Greece so there will be big United support when we go to Athens."



AC Milan v Atletico Madrid

AC Milan director Umberto Gandini told la Gazzetta dello Sport: "It could have been worse for us.

"We're going back to Spain to take on a team which we are not used to, as opposed to Real and Barcelona, who we have faced so many times recently.

"We will face Atletico in two months, so we'll have to see how both teams are then. Atletico are very good, are having a great season and will be very tricky opponents."



Atletico Madrid director Clemente Villaverde said to Canal Plus: "We are not talking about just anyone here but a great team with a very significant history that will make them a force in any competition they are part of.

"We obviously have a lot of respect for all the teams but we do not fear anyone.

"We also have our potential and our weapons and we will try to exploit them against any opponent."



Bayer Leverkusen v Paris St Germain

Bayer Leverkusen managing director Michael Schade told BeIN Sport: "We are the underdogs of course. We are already happy we have reached this round. Paris are a top team."



Paris St Germain coach Laurent Blanc told a news conference in Paris: "I don't have to say whether it's a good or a bad draw. It could have been more complicated.

"We avoided (Manchester) City, who, like Arsenal, were the team to avoid. But it's not because we avoided them that we will not be professional in the way we will prepare for the tie.

"Bayer Leverkusen are a team we have a lot of respect for."



Galatasaray v Chelsea

Chelsea club secretary David Barnard told Sky Sports: "We last played them in the Champions League group stage in 2000 and we were successful then, we won 5-0.

"Obviously things are going to be different now. But having looked at that pitch against Juventus I think that might give us a little bit of concern.

"To play at home in the second leg, I think, is always an advantage and if we can go there and get a good result it takes a bit of pressure off us for the home leg."

Regarding the return of Didier Drogba to Stamford Bridge, Barnard added: "Didier will become a Chelsea legend because he gave everybody at the club and the supporters probably their finest moment by stroking that penalty home in Munich, so he will get a fantastic reception.

"We hope that when he soaks up that adulation he'll be too tired to actually play the game. We are looking forward to having Didier back."



Schalke 04 v Real Madrid

Schalke coach Jens Keller said: "This is a fantastic draw, for us as well as for our fans.

"To be able to go up against the most famous club in the world and the likes of Ronaldo, Bale and Casillas is something we are already looking forward to."



Real Madrid director Emilio Butragueno told Canal Plus: "It's true that in theory there were stronger rivals in the draw but that's the lottery.

"We have always suffered a lot against German teams and so we have to approach the tie very respectfully and cautiously, prepare well and attend to all the details.

"The return match is at the Bernabeu which in principle is an advantage but we know what can happen in this competition. One bad night in Europe and you are out."



Zenit St Petersburg v Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said: "If you reach the knockout stage you cannot expect an easy draw but if you see the other matchups ours is one we can live with, but it is not easy.

"It does not matter at this point that we play the return game in Germany. They are top in their league and it will be hard."



Arsenal v Bayern Munich

Arsenal club secretary David Miles told Sky Sports: "We always seem to get the rough end of the draw but nevertheless we're optimistic. We're looking forward to both games.

"We ran them (Bayern Munich) very close last year and don't forget we only lost on away goals in the end, so we are hopeful we can turn the tide and actually come through this one."



Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: "They are the leaders in the Premier League and so we have been warned.

"A few months ago we had lost to them in Munich. They are a very tough team.

"We have to take it as it comes. This is not about getting an attractive matchup." (Editing by Kieran Barry)

Real lose ground in title race with Osasuna draw

Real Madrid wasted a chance to keep the pressure on the top two in La Liga with a 2-2 draw away to Osasuna where Sergio Ramos was sent off and record signing Gareth Bale substituted.

Carlo Ancelotti's side began confidently having won their last five league games, scoring 24 goals in the process, but were undone by two first half headers from Oriol Riera.

Sergio Ramos, returning from suspension and whose discipline has been questioned, was red carded after 43 minutes but Isco gave Real hope with a strike on the point of halftime.

Bale was taken off 10 minutes into the second half as they searched for an equaliser that eventually came from a Pepe header after Osasuna were also reduced to 10 men with Francisco Silva dismissed.

Bale, a 100 million euros ($137.30 million) signing, scored a hat-trick in his last league game against Valladolid but was unable to make an impact against Osasuna who also managed to earn a draw against Barcelona earlier in the season.

"The first 20 minutes were very good and it is incredible that we went 2-0 down and had ten men. We responded well but we suffered a lot," Ancelotti told a news conference.

"We were showing quality and rhythm and we lost control after the first goal but we did show character and the right attitude to battle back."

Later on Saturday, Barcelona can go three points clear at the top if they beat Villarreal with Atletico Madrid, level on 40 points playing on Sunday. Real are third with 38 points.

Real zipped the ball around with pace and confidence early on with Osasuna at full stretch to contain Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

So it was a shock when Osasuna took the lead with Riera left totally unmarked to head in Marc Bertran's cross.

The goal took the wind out of Real's sails and they again failed to mark properly when Damia Abella won a header which keeper Diego Lopez beat away, only for Riera to nod in the rebound.

It went from bad to worse as Ramos then received a second yellow card for a foul on Roberto Torres.

Isco pulled a goal back, finding the corner with a drive from the edge of the area.

Bale was replaced by Angel Di Maria after the restart and it was Osasuna who looked more like scoring again.

The match changed, however, when Silva was also dismissed following a foul on Ronaldo and Isco's free-kick was headed in by Pepe.

Peralta, Morgan selected CONCACAF Players of the Year

Mexico's Oribe Peralta and Alex Morgan of the United States were named winners of the inaugural CONCACAF Male and Female Player of the Year awards on Friday.

In a vote of national team coaches/captains, media and fans, Santos Laguna's Peralta won the honour ahead of U.S. internationals Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey.

On the women's side, Morgan edged U.S. teammate Abby Wambach in the most closely contested vote on a ballot that decided six different awards.

In the other categories, Tim Howard (Everton & United States) was named as Goalkeeper of the Year, Juergen Klinsmann (United States) as Coach of the Year, Mexico's Marco Antonio Rodriguez as Referee of the Year and Mexican Raul Jimenez's brilliant strike against Panama in October as Goal of the Year.

"Congratulations to all our winners and nominees who have made particularly special contributions to a fantastic year of football in the region," Jeffrey Webb, president of CONCACAF (The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football), said in a statement.

"These awards have generated a fantastic level of enthusiasm across the CONCACAF football community. We had almost 60,000 fans vote and witnessed an impressive level of participation from the media, as well as captains and coaches."

Striker Sigthorsson back for Ajax's trip to Milan

Ajax Amsterdam striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson has recovered from an ankle injury and is available for their crucial Champions League tie against AC Milan on Wednesday, the Dutch club said.

Sigthorsson returns after suffering the injury while playing for Iceland in the first leg of last month's World Cup playoff loss to Croatia.

But Ajax will be without injured captain Siem de Jong, Nicolai Boilesen and Lerin Duarte, while defender Joel Veltman will miss the match due to suspension, the Dutch champions said on their website (www.ajax.nl).

De Jong has a hamstring injury, picked up on international duty with Netherlands last month, while Duarte has ankle problems.

Boilsen injured his hamstring during Ajax's last Champions League game, a 2-1 home win over Barcelona that kept the Dutch champions in contention for the knock-out phase.

Ajax must win their final Group H match at the San Siro to advance to the next stage.

Barcelona, top of the group with 10 points, are already through, but Milan, second on eight points, and Ajax, on seven, will fight it out for the second qualifying spot.

Celtic have been eliminated with three points from five matches.

Napoli in six-goal thriller, Balotelli saves Milan

 Two goals in three minutes from Goran Pandev were not enough to secure victory as Napoli threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 3-3 at home to Udinese in an end-to-end Serie A thriller on Saturday.

In the day's other game a stunning late free kick by Mario Balotelli, his second goal of the match, helped AC Milan snatch a 2-2 draw at Livorno.

Rafael Benitez's Napoli stay third with 32 points from 15 games, two points behind AS Roma and eight adrift of leaders Juventus who beat Bologna 2-0 on Friday.

Pandev tapped in the opening goal in the 38th minute after showing delicate control.

He quickly made it 2-0 when Gonzalo Higuain charged to the byline and pulled the ball back for Macedonian forward Pandev who spun well before guiding in his sixth league goal of the season.

Napoli defender Federico Fernandez scored an embarrassing own goal seconds before halftime when he clipped in a tame Thomas Heurtaux header.

Bruno Fernandes then deservedly drew Udinese level with a dipping shot that confused Napoli keeper Rafael Cabral with 21 minutes left.

Napoli went back in front when Blerim Dzemaili tapped in the rebound following a curling effort from Higuain.

Udinese refused to give up and equalised again with 10 minutes to go when Dusan Basta scored after a goalmouth scramble.

The visitors then almost snatched victory when Brazilian Maicosuel burst through on goal, only for Christian Maggio to thwart him with a superb sliding tackle.

The challenge enraged Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin who was sent off for protesting.

Eighth-placed Milan were rescued at Livorno by Balotelli who thumped a spectacular shot past keeper Francesco Bardi from 30 metres with six minutes left.

His leveller came after two sucker punches from Luca Siligardi and Paulinho had turned the game in the home team's favour following the former Manchester City forward's seventh-minute opener.

Balotelli almost clinched a barely deserved win for Milan when he hit the bar with a looping effort two minutes from the end.

Second-placed Roma host flamboyant Fiorentina in one of seven fixtures on Sunday.