Cacau out for three months

Bundesliga club Stuttgart says striker Cacau will be out of action for at least three months after injuring his left knee in training.



Stuttgart says the Brazil-born Germany striker ruptured his cruciate ligament in training on Wednesday.



Club doctors hope Cacau can avoid surgery.



"This is really bitter for us and I feel very sorry for him. We will do all we can to support him and hope that he doesn't have to undergo an operation," Stuttgart sports director Fredi Bobic said.



The club has won only one of seven games this season and is 15th in the 18-team top division.

Man Utd: Kagawa signing not about shirt sales

Manchester United commercial director Richard Arnold insists the club are not looking to sign Japan playmaker Shinji Kagawa simply to sell shirts.



Kagawa is reportedly close to moving from Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund to Old Trafford on a €15 million transfer, which could rise to €22 million with add-ons. Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke fuelled speculation further on Tuesday evening, telling Derwesten: "Both sides want to conclude the deal."



Meanwhile, United's South Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung may exit the club this summer, sparking talk the club are looking to the sign Kagawa to boost brand recognition throughout Asia. Arnold, though, believes United's individual players do not drive the club's off-field profitability.



"We don't sign players to sell shirts." Arnold said. "We are reliant on 25 players and they are all massive stars. We have 25 George Clooneys.



"When you look at the success we've seen in that part of the world [Asia], it isn't down to any one player or person. Of course, Ji is a fantastic player, was captain of the South Korea team and continues to be a key part of our squad.



"But for Manchester United, it's more than any one player. It was more than George Best, it was more than Bryan Robson, it was more than David Beckham, it was more than Cantona, than Park.



"Ji is very popular in Korea, just as Javier Hernandez is hugely popular in Mexico, but Paul Scholes has his own Chinese character. These are huge stars and the big stars are the big stars in every country. Our games are shown 1.1 billion homes across the globe and you think 'which film does that 60 times a year?'



"Be it George Clooney or Brad Pitt, what is there where that is shown? There just isn't anything like it."

Granit Xhaka reveals Bundesliga move on the cards

FC Basel midfielder Granit Xhaka has revealed that he is on the verge of joining Borussia Moenchengladbach.



The 19-year-old is regarded as one of the most talented midfielders in Europe and he already has six Switzerland caps to his name.



After spending just two years at Basel, the youngster is ready to leave the Swiss side and reveals that he has already agreed personal terms with Borussia M’gladbach.



“For me, everything is regulated. Now it’s up to the clubs,” Xhaka was quoted as saying in Basler Zeitung.



The player, who has a contract until June 2015 at Basel, is awaiting the outcome of the transfer talks between the two clubs in order to complete his move to Germany.



Basler Zeitung claims that Borussia have offered around €6.5 million for the talented midfielder, but that is still few million short of Basel’s valuation of the player.



The German side will have money to spend in the summer transfer window after agreeing to sell Marco Reus to Borussia Dortmund for a fee of €17.5 million.