EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING, TheScore.ie brings you the stories you need to know before 9am.
1. #LONDON 2012 Martin Fagan will today face an anti-doping committee hearing. The 28-year-old has admitted to taking the banned substance EPO and then failed a doping test in Arizona last month.
The marathon runner told the Irish Times that he was under pressure financially, felt depressed and suicidal before he purchased the EPO online. He was due to run at the Houston Marathon on Sunday.
Yesterday, RTÉ pundit and former Olympic marathon star Jerry Kiernan said he was shocked and surprised and though he hoped Fagan recovered from the development, he thinks his career is now over.
2.#PREMIER LEAGUE Edin Dzeko scored the only goal of the game as Manchester City moved three points clear at the top of Premier League with a 1-0 win over Wigan last night.
City were at far from their best, but the Bosnian striker’s header in the 22nd minute was enough to secure the win and re-establish a gap between themselves and Manchester United in second.
3. #AUSTRALIAN OPEN Hometown hero Sam Stosur is the first high-profile casualty at this year’s Australian Open. The sixth seed was stunned in her first round match against Sorana Cirstea this morning, losing 7-6 (7-2) 6-3.
In the men’s singles, Britain’s Andy Murray had to overcome a slow start to find a way past American teenager Ryan Harrison. Murray dropped the first set, but rallied to win 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2.
4. #DEPARTURES LOUNGE Inter Milan yesterday tabled a €25million bid for Man City striker Carlos Tevez.
The Serie A club chairman’s Massimo Moratti said “Now it depends on them whether they accept or not.”
5. #HEINEKEN CUP Flanker Niall Ronan has been ruled out of Munster’s final Heineken Cup pool game against the Northampton Saints with a knee injury.
A scan yesterday revealed that Ronan damaged the ligaments in his left knee during Saturday’s win over Castres Olympique.
He will definitely miss this weekend’s trip to face the Saints in Milton Keynes, though the timeline for his recovery will not be known until later in the week.
6. #ALI Muhammad Ali turns 70-years-old today. Happy birthday, champ.
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