Rafael Nadal says he plans to take several weeks off after the Australian Open to recover from a nagging shoulder injury.

The second-ranked Nadal said the injury surfaced during the ATP World Tour Finals in London and that he was still "not 100 percent."

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer meet in a $250,000 three-day exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi's winter sun from Thursday, eager to strike early blows ahead of the 2012 season.

In the new year, world number one Djokovic will defend three Grand Slam titles and Nadal will look to hang on to his Olympic title and French Open crown, while Federer, despite nearing his 31st birthday, is keen to extend his impressive late run in 2011.

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Carlo Ancelotti was at Parc des Princes on Wednesday, amid reports the 52-year-old Italian is poised to replace Antoine Kombouare as coach of the ambitious French club.

Pierre Octave Arrighi, head of operations at PSG, confirmed Ancelotti's presence after a day of fervent speculation in the French media and on social networking sites such as Twitter, but said no announcements would be made on Wednesday evening.

Dwyane Wade banked in the game-winning shot with 2.9 seconds remaining as the Miami Heat rallied to edge Charlotte 96-95 in a National Basketball Association game.

Playing their second game in as many nights, the star-studded Heat didn't display the speedy, aggressive attack that saw them post convincing victories over reigning champions Dallas on Sunday and Eastern Conference rivals Boston on Tuesday.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has defended striker Andy Carroll as the player prepares to face former club Newcastle.

Carroll, 22, made a 20-minute substitute appearance in Liverpool's 3-0 victory over the Magpies in May.

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has accepted a charge of improper conduct for making an obscene gesture toward Fulham fans during a Premier League match and will serve an immediate one-match ban.

The club has also been fined 20,000 pounds ($31,000) and warned about its future conduct after its players harangued referee Kevin Friend over his decision to send off midfielder Jay Spearing during the same match on December 5.

New Spain captain Alex Corretja remains hopeful that Rafael Nadal will be available to the Davis Cup champions despite the second-ranked Spaniard announcing he won't compete in the event in 2012.

Corretja says neither Nadal nor David Ferrer have told him personally that they will be unavailable for the five-time winners. Corretja plans to speak to the pair at the Australian Open to see "if they can or want to play, or if they can play certain series'."

Miami Heat held off a late challenge by the Boston Celtics on Tuesday to win a 115-107 NBA victory, with LeBron James scoring 26 points, Dwyane Wade adding 24 and rookie Norris Cole racking up 14 fourth-quarter points.

The star-studded Heat dominated most of the match, leading by as many as 20 points before the determined Celtics twice narrowed the deficit to three points in the closing minutes.

Arsene Wenger expects more twists at the top of the Premier League this season after blaming his players for dropping points in a 1-1 against Wolves.

Arsenal were left frustrated at the Emirates Stadium after Gervinho's opener was cancelled out by Steven Fletcher, with the visitors holding on despite Nenad Milijas' dismissal.

After finishing three games in roughly 56 hours with their best effort yet, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers demonstrated why their demise might not be as imminent as many thought.

Bryant scored 26 points, Pau Gasol added 22 points and nine rebounds, and the Lakers avoided just the fourth 0-3 start in franchise history with a 96-71 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.