Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng has said it would be a "huge honor" to one day lead Germany out as the first black captain of the World Cup holders.

When Philipp Lahm retired after winning the World Cup in July, Bastian Schweinsteiger succeeded him as Germany skipper, but Boateng says he wants to lead out the world champions in the future.

Real Madrid's German midfielder Sami Khedira was released from hospital on Wednesday after spending the night under observation with concussion, his club confirmed.

"Following neurological exams performed on Sami Khedira today in the Sanitas La Moraleja hospital, the player has been discharged," read a statement on the club website.

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal hopes to welcome Daley Blind back to full fitness before the end of the month, in what promises to be further good news for the Dutch manager following a 2-1 win over Stoke that kept his side fourth in the Premier League.

Van Gaal's compatriot Blind has been absent since injuring his knee playing for the Netherlands against Latvia in mid-November, although recent tests have been encouraging.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said Steven Gerrard's goal-scoring display in a 3-1 win away to Leicester was proof he could still be a key player for the Merseysiders, albeit in a changed role.

Gerrard scored the crucial second goal to help the visitors come back from 1-0 down against the Premier League strugglers at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday.

Chinese swimming sensation Sun Yang has been barred from training in Australia and his coach plans to sever ties with the Olympic champion after he was banned for doping, it was reported Wednesday.

The double Olympic champion and 1,500 metres world record-holder served a three-month penalty after testing positive for the banned stimulant trimetazidine in May.

Tiger Woods is making his latest comeback in golf with an eye to the past.

Equipped with a new teacher and a stronger body, Woods said Tuesday he is working on a swing that incorporates previous moves that date as far back as his amateur days. He referred to it as "new, but old," and the 14-time major champion will start testing it this week against an 18-man field of elite players at the Hero World Challenge.

A goal by Colombian striker Duvan Zapata in time added on rescued a 1-1 draw for 10-man Napoli against Sampdoria on Monday and was enough to see them return to third in Serie A.

Zapata's goal -- after Eder had given the hosts the lead in the 57th minute -- extended his side's unbeaten run to 10 games in the league.

American great Ryan Lochte will bid along with other stars to give swimming a positive spin at this week's World Short-Course (25m) Championships in Doha following an uncomfortable few weeks for the sport.

Last week it emerged that double Olympic and five-time world champion Sun Yang had failed a drugs test, which revealed the banned stimulant trimetazidine, back in May for which he received just a three-month ban.

Inspired by the success of neighbors Russia in staging the Olympics in the southern resort city of Sochi, Kazakhstan has set its sights on hosting the 2022 Winter Games in its former capital of Almaty.

"We will seriously boost the country's image if we win the right to stage the Olympics," the mayor of Almaty, Akhmetzhan Yessimov said recently.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have between them won the past six world player of the year awards face opposition from Germany's World Cup winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the short list announced by FIFA on Monday.

Ronaldo, who is the present holder of the title having also won it in 2008, scored a record 17 goals in a Champions League campaign as Real Madrid went on to win their 10th European Cup last term.