Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1037786
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 10 OCTOBER 2018 21 SPORTS FOOTBALL SPORTS FOOTBALL MANCHESTER United mid- fielder Nemanja Matic has with- drawn from the Serbia squad ahead of their Nations League fixtures. Matic, 30, will miss Serbia's matches against Montenegro and Romania due to an un- specified injury. United have confirmed the player will return to the club "to complete his rehabilita- tion." He is a doubt for their next Premier League clash which is against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on October 20. Old Trafford manager Jo- se Mourinho could also be without Luke Shaw against Chelsea after the left-back re- turned to Manchester injured from England duty on Mon- day, ahead of the Three Lions' double-header internationals against Croatia and against Spain. Man. United's Matic pulls out of Serbia squad with injury TWO Russia internationals are under in- vestigation over an attack on a civil servant in a cafe in Moscow. Zenit St Petersburg's Aleksan- dr Kokorin and Krasnodar's Pavel Mamaev are said to have attacked trade ministry official Denis Pak, leaving him needing medical treatment. Russia's interior ministry has opened an investigation into the incident. Zenit said Kokorin had behaved "dis- gustingly" and Krasnodar said they were looking to end Mamaev's con- tract. "The investigation is currently estab- lishing all the circumstances of and participants in the incident," the inte- rior ministry said in a statement. Kokorin, 27, has 48 caps for the na- tional team, but missed this year's home World Cup through injury. He has played for Zenit since 2016. "What happened yesterday in Mos- cow involving Aleksandr Kokorin has caused great disgust and indignation at the club," five-times Russian champi- ons Zenit said in a statement. "We don't think it's necessary to speak of a club punishment for the player – it will come, but right now the manage- ment of Zenit and the fans feel nothing but dismay, that one of the country's most talented footballers has behaved disgustingly. We await the legal assess- ment by the relevant bodies, but from the human and emotional viewpoint such an incident only arouses shame." Mamaev, 30, has 15 Russia caps and played for CSKA Moscow 128 times before moving to Krasnodar in 2013. "We are currently looking into how to terminate a contract with the play- er," FC Krasnodar said. "Unfortunately, contracts are drawn up in such a way that they protect pro- fessional athletes to the greatest possi- ble extent. But we will do everything to get it done." Aleksandr Kokorin (left) and Pavel Mamaev (right) Two Russia internationals investigated over attack