Reuters Sports Schedule at 0001 GMT on Thursday, Dec 22

Reuters sports schedule at 0001 GMT on Thursday (times GMT):

TENNIS

Kvitova out for six months after surgery

PRAGUE - Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, whose hand was wounded in a knife attack, will not play again for at least six months and it is too early to say when she can return to competition, her publicist said. (TENNIS-KVITOVA/, moved, 400 words)

SOCCER

Premier League

We will have the latest news ahead of the Dec. 26 holiday fixtures. (SOCCER-ENGLAND-TEAM/, expect throughout)

Serie A

AS Roma v Chievo Verona (1945)

Cagliari v Sassuolo (1945)

Fiorentina v Napoli (1945)

Palermo v Pescara (1945)

Sampdoria v Udinese (1945)

Torino v Genoa (1945)

Free-scoring Napoli visit inconsistent Fiorentina

MILAN - Free-scoring Napoli, back to the form which saw them finish as Serie A runners-up last season, visit a Fiorentina side searching for consistency while second-placed AS Roma face Chievo. (SOCCER-ITALY/ expect by 2145 GMT/4:45 PM ET, 400 words)

NBA

Thunder rumble into New Orleans

he Oklahoma City Thunder, who are 16-12 but 5-6 on the road, try to buck that trend and shake off a tough loss to Atlanta and poor finish by dynamic guard Russell Westbrook when they visit the New Orleans Pelicans (9-20). (BASKETBALL-NBA-NOP-OKC/ expect by 0400 GMT/11 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 400 words)

Cavs and Bucks meet again

LeBron James and the Eastern Conference-best Cleveland Cavaliers host the Bucks in the second of back-to-back contests against Milwaukee in as many nights in one of eight games on the National Basketball Association schedule. (BASKETBALL-NBA-HIGHLIGHTS/, expect by 0600 GMT/1 AM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 700 words)

NHL

Metro rivals Flyers-Capitals fight for position

Metropolitan Division Philadelphia (19-11-4) and Washington (19-8-3), fighting for playoff positioning, hit the ice in one of two games on the National Hockey League schedule. (ICEHOCKEY-NHL-HIGHLIGHTS/ expect by 0530 GMT/12:30 AM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 250 words)

NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS

Roundups of off-field developments in the major North American professional sports leagues. (expect by 0100 GMT/8 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 500 words) (Asia desk editor: Peter Rutherford)