Sports News Roundup: Messi apologises to PSG for Saudi trip; Birthday boy Alcaraz beats Coric to reach Madrid final and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-Messi apologises to PSG for Saudi trip

Lionel Messi apologised to Paris St Germain and his team mates on Friday after being suspended for making a trip to Saudi Arabia earlier this week and missing a training session as a result. French media reported that Messi was suspended for two weeks after an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia when he was supposed to train with the squad the day after the Ligue 1 leaders' 3-1 defeat at home to Lorient on Sunday.

Tennis-Recovering Nadal skips Italian Open to cast doubts over Roland Garros

Rafa Nadal will miss next week's Italian Open as he has yet to regain full fitness from the hip injury he sustained at January's Australian Open, casting further doubt over his participation in the French Open. Nadal, a 14-times Roland Garros champion, skipped the ongoing Madrid Open and has also missed tournaments at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

Horse racing-Skinner becomes fourth horse scratched from Kentucky Derby

Skinner, the bay colt trained by John Shirreffs, has become the fourth horse scratched from Saturday's Kentucky Derby, bringing the field for the first leg of U.S. thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown down to 19, Churchill Downs said on Friday. C R K Stable's Skinner was scratched because of an elevated temperature after having galloped a mile strongly during a training session early on Friday.

Soccer-Brighton sign Brazilian striker Pedro from Watford

Brighton & Hove Albion have signed Brazilian striker Joao Pedro from Watford on a five-year deal, with the 21-year-old set to join the club when the transfer window opens in the close season, the Premier League side on Friday. Finiancial details were not disclosed but British media reported that it was a record deal for Brighton worth 30 million pounds ($38 million).

Soccer-Naples goes wild after first league title since Maradona era

Dozens of revellers were injured in wild celebrations in the southern Italian city of Naples after its soccer team became Serie A champions for the first time in 33 years, local officials said on Friday. Mass street partying, punctuated by fireworks, flares, horns and firecrackers, began late on Thursday after the Napoli team secured the "Scudetto" title with a 1-1 draw away at Udinese in northeast Italy.

Soccer-Wrexham to play in seven-on-seven tournament in North Carolina

Wrexham, the newly-promoted Welsh club owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, will compete in a seven-on-seven tournament in early June in Cary, North Carolina.

The 32-team event from June 1-4 called The Soccer Tournament will consist of a group stage and knockout rounds capped by a winner-takes-all $1 million championship game. The field features clubs from seven different countries.

Tennis-Birthday boy Alcaraz beats Coric to reach Madrid final

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his 20th birthday by storming into the Madrid Open final with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Borna Coric on Friday to stay on track for his fourth title of the season. In Sunday's title clash, the top-seeded Spaniard will face off against qualifier Aslan Karatsev or lucky loser Jan-Lennard Struff who will contest the other semi-final later in the day.

Soccer-Guardiola wary of threat Leeds pose under new manager Allardyce

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes Leeds United will be dangerous opponents under interim manager Sam Allardyce given the injection of motivation change often brings.

City can go four points clear of Arsenal atop the Premier League with a victory over the Yorkshire club on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium but face a team desperate to avoid the drop.

Soccer-Top-four finish not in Liverpool's hands, says Klopp

A resurgence in form is unlikely to help Liverpool qualify for next season's Champions League as fourth-placed Manchester United are unlikely to slip up on the home stretch, manager Juergen Klopp said on Friday. Liverpool are on a five-match winning streak that lifted them up to fifth in the Premier League, four points behind United who have a game in hand, but Klopp does not expect their rivals to drop points.

Soccer-Salah on verge of becoming top-scoring Egyptian of all time

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah will become the highest scoring Egyptian of all time if he finds the net against Brentford in the Premier League at Anfield on Saturday. Salah has scored 313 goals in a brilliant career for club and country, with stats app Five Star Football saying he equalled former Egypt captain Hossam Hassan's record with a penalty in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Fulham on Wednesday.