Lindsey Vonn has returned to the ski slopes nine months after knee surgery, the U.S. downhill queen posting a picture of herself on Instagram on Thursday.

"After a looong 9 months I'm back on snow!!" Vonn wrote. "It was definitely worth the wait!! cool videos to come #iloveskiing."

Germany defender Mats Hummels insists there is no truth in rumors of a future transfer to Manchester United and insists he is perfectly happy at Borussia Dortmund.

The 25-year-old center back has been heavily linked by the British media to helping solve Louis van Gaal's defensive problems at Manchester United, but the World Cup-winner says there is zero truth in any transfer talk.

Frenchman Jules Bianchi insisted on Thursday that he is ready to replace two-time world champion Fernando Alonso at Ferrari next season if the Spaniard is lured away to McLaren.

Bianchi, 25, told a news conference ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix that a switch to Ferrari would be "logical" for him after a two-year apprenticeship with current team Marussia.

Jurgen Klopp insists there is more to come from Borussia Dortmund and Shinji Kagawa after their Champions League romp at Anderlecht kept them top of Group D ahead of Arsenal.

Having beaten the Gunners 2-0 in Dortmund to open their European campaign in style a fortnight ago, the 2013 Champions League finalists enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 win in Belgium on Wednesday.

The Caterham Formula One team has insisted it plans to race at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend despite questions over its future following a raid from bailiffs.

In a statement before Sunday's race at Suzuka, the struggling team said: "There have been unfounded and unsubstantiated rumors concerning actions against 1MRT, the entrant and owner of CaterhamF1.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone believes Italian champions Juventus are as good as Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid despite his side inflicting Juve's first defeat of the season in a 1-0 win on Wednesday.

"For me they are at the level of Madrid or Barcelona," said the Argentine.

The Formula One establishment is nervously watching to see how Max Verstappen -- too young to drive a car on his home Dutch roads -- handles a 300 kilometers (185 miles) an hour beast on the legendary Suzuka track on Friday.

Some worry that, at 17, the son of Formula One veteran Jos Verstappen, is taking a risk at a tender age. Others are concerned though about how big a star the precocious talent is going to become.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers refused to be downbeat about his side's Champions League prospects despite a poor performance in Basel on Wednesday and with Real Madrid to come next.

The Reds were deservedly beaten 1-0 by the Swiss champions at the St Jakob-Park as captain Marco Streller netted the only goal of the game seven minutes into the second half.

Arsene Wenger insists Danny Welbeck's hat-trick against Galatasaray will give the Arsenal striker the confidence he needs to thrive at the Emirates Stadium.

Welbeck had made a tentative start to life with the Gunners following his £16 million ($25 million) move from Manchester United on transfer deadline day last month.

Daniel Sturridge will not join up with England for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers after England manager Roy Hodgson and Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers reached an agreement over the striker's fitness.

It had been thought Hodgson might force the issue and select Sturridge but Rodgers said after Wednesday's disappointing 1-0 Champions League defeat to Basel, in Switzerland, he had spoken with the England coach and resolved the problem.