Soccer-Roundup-Levante victims of fraudulent offers

MADRID, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Soccer news in brief from around the world:

* Levante have said that the Primera Liga club and their Brazilian centre-back Alvaro were the victims of a fraudulent offer by an intermediary who falsely claimed that Birmingham City and Newcastle United had bid 3 million euros ($4.46 million) for the player.

"Both clubs have confirmed to us that they made no such offers," Levante president Julio Romero told the club's Web site (www.levanteud.com).Levante said that Newcastle told them that would report the incident to FIFA.

* Italy midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has been left out of AC Milan's squad for Sunday's Serie A match at Fiorentina, after straining a thigh muscle in Wednesday's 1-0 league win at Reggina, the European champions said on their Web site (www.acmilan.com).

According to media reports, Gattuso will be sidelined for a month, which means he will miss Italy's friendly against Portugal in Zurich on Wednesday and the first leg of Milan's Champions League tie against Arsenal in London on Feb 20.

* Thailand's national side arrived in Japan on Saturday for a 2010 World Cup qualifier after a training camp at Manchester City and victory in a warm-up game.

City's billionaire Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra picked up the tab for the team to train in Manchester ahead of Wednesday's opening 2010 qualifier in Saitama. * Manchester City are still confident of signing Portsmouth striker Benjani Mwaruwari despite failing to close the deal on transfer deadline day.

"It will be solved one way or another on Monday, maximum Tuesday," manager Sven-Goran Eriksson told Sky Sports before City's 3-1 defeat by Arsenal on Saturday. "I think he will become a Manchester City player." (Editing by John Mehaffey)