* Inter Milan continued their perfect start to the Serie A season and returned to the top of the table with a 1-0 win over Lazio at San Siro on Wednesday.

* Former Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has rejected the chance to rejoin the club as a general manager in place of Pep Segura who left in July by mutual consent.

* Olympique de Marseille forward Dimitri Payet has been handed a four-match ban for insulting the referee in a Ligue 1 game, the French League said on Wednesday.

* AS Roma suffered their first defeat of the Serie A season as Atalanta stunned the capital side with a 2-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday.

* Diego Costa scored his first goal since March and Alvaro Morata was sent off as Atletico Madrid won 2-0 at Mallorca on Wednesday.

* Lionel Messi has sustained a strain in his left thigh, Barcelona confirmed on Wednesday (Sep 25). Messi was substituted at half-time of Barca's 2-1 win over Villarreal on Tuesday in what was the striker's first start of the season.

* FIFA has agreed steps that will limit the number of players clubs can send out on loan from next season and will also limit the amount of money paid to agents in commissions, world football's governing body announced on Wednesday (Sep 25).

* Egypt's football association has asked FIFA for clarification after its vote for national icon Mohamed Salah was dropped from the final tally for the world's best player award.

* World number one Ash Barty fended off a late comeback attempt by American Sofia Kenin to reach the Wuhan Open quarter-finals on Wednesday, while Simona Halep retired from her match due to a lower back injury.

* Russian midfielder Aleksandr Golovin finally made his impact at Monaco by scoring two superb goals and setting up another to give his side their first win of the Ligue 1 season on Tuesday.

* Sebastian Coe was re-elected as president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Wednesday, and will begin his second term facing the same Russian problems that have dogged the sport through the Briton's first stint.

* Chelsea left back Emerson Palmieri will be out until the middle of October after sustaining a thigh injury during Sunday's 2-1 Premier League defeat by leaders Liverpool, manager Frank Lampard has said.

Reuters/CNA