SUNDERLAND supporters unable to get a ticket for the English FA Cup third-round replay with Manchester United will at least be able to watch the game live on television.

The all-ticket Roker Park replay is expected to attract a sellout crowd of 2_657 and has been brought forward 24 hours to next Tuesday (7.45pm) for screening by BSkyB.

Sheffield United, whose replay with Arsenal has been moved to Wednesday. January 17th (7.45pm) will go into action with Bruce Rioch's men knowing a television pay-day awaits if they can come through.

The BBC will show the fourth-round clash between the winner of the Bramall Lane game and Aston Villa, who ended non-League Gravesend and Northfleet's Cup dream on Saturday. That tie will be on Sunday, January 28th (3pm).

BSkyB's fourth-round game, which will be played the following day with an 8pm kick-off, is between Queens Park Rangers and the winners of the St James' Park replay featuring Newcastle and Chelsea.

Liberian striker George Weah yesterday added the FIFA World Player of the Year award to a string of accolades afforded to one of Africa's most successful sportsmen.

In winning the FIFA vote ahead of AC Milan teammate Paolo Maldini and Bayern Munich's Jurgen Klinsmann. 29-year-old Weah gathered his fourth award in a matter of weeks.

First, he became the first non-European to win the coveted Ballon D'Or and then picked up identical awards from the African Football Confederation and Afrique Football magazine.

Sampdoria striker Roberto Mancini, who suffered a head injury in a collision with European player of the year George Weah on Sunday, will have surgery this week and will be out of action for up to six weeks.

A spokeswoman for the club said yesterday that Mancini would undergo an operation in Genoa today or tomorrow. "He'll be out for a month to a month and a half," she said.

The spokeswoman said the 31-year-old player had fractured his left eye socket in the accident.