Salmons skips London trip, Rose hurting

Here’s some news from London as the Bulls prepare for Tuesday’s preseason game against Utah. A sellout is expected at the O2 Arena for this contest.

John Salmons did not make the trip because his wife is due to give birth to the couple’s second child. Center Aaron Gray, not surprisingly, stayed home to start recovery from a stress fracture in his left fibula.

Derrick Rose celebrated his 21st birthday on Sunday and was treated to a rookie rendition of “Happy Birthday” on the flight across the Atlantic.

But Rose skipped Sunday’s practice at the O2 because of a sore right ankle and Achilles tendon. He still hopes to play against the Jazz. There’s a good chance Tyrus Thomas will sit out Tuesday after being injured in Friday’s preseason win at Indiana.

After checking into their hotel on Sunday morning, the Bulls went straight to a 90-minute practice session. Later on, it was soccer day in the U.K.

Luol Deng was able to check out his favorite team, Arsenal, drill the Blackburn Rovers 6-2. Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller, James Johnson and Taj Gibson joined Deng at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, according to bulls.com.

Derrick Rose posed for photos at the Chelsea-Liverpool match with Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur.

The Bulls held another practice early Monday morning, with Rose and Thomas again sitting out. Thomas' injury is now being called a sore hip, but no word on whether the original concussion diagnosis still stands.

Tuesday’s game against the Jazz tips off at 1:30 p.m. Central time and can be seen on NBA TV. Photos and blogs from London can be found on bulls.com.