Liverpool have signed Nicolas Anelka on loan until the end of the season. The Paris St Germain striker has joined the Anfield club pending a medical and Liverpool have an option to buy the Frenchman at the end of the season.

Anelka made his reputation with Arsenal before moving to Real Madrid for £22 million and could make his debut against his old club at Anfield on Sunday.

He has a chequered past, causing almost as many problems within Arsenal as his talent did for Premiership defenders.

He then moved on to Real, where he again fell out with club officials, before returning to his native Paris with PSG, where he found trouble at the end of a lengthy honeymoon period.

Coming less than a month after the departure of crowd favourite Robbie Fowler, the move is bound to cause controversy on Merseyside. As well as bringing Anelka to the club, Liverpool were granted a work permit for Czech international striker Milan Baros by a special review panel yesterday.

While Arsenal, lying fourth in the league, and second-placed Liverpool have designs on the Premiership title, both will have been relieved to hear that UEFA have confirmed an extra place for English teams in the Champions League next season.

The Premiership champions and runners-up will go into the competition proper, with the teams which finish third and fourth joining the competition in the third qualifying round.

Arsenal travel to Anfield on Sunday in the knowledge that any FA charge against the striker who replaced Anelka, Thierry Henry, looks certain to be delayed until well into the new year.

The FA are writing to Arsenal, asking them and French striker Henry to give their version of events following the player's wild rant at referee Graham Poll after the 3-1 defeat by Newcastle at Highbury on Tuesday.

Arsenal have been given 14 days to reply before the FA, who received Poll's report of the incident yesterday, consider whether to charge Henry with misconduct or bringing the game into disrepute.

Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira, who is suspended for the game, has said that his is still considering his options for next season.

He said: "I will look at what is on offer. I will make a decision before the World Cup after talks with Arsene Wenger and the club."

Although league leadership will be at stake when third-placed Leeds take on first-placed Newcastle at Elland Road today, the focus will also be on the possible participation of Lee Bowyer and Jonathan Woodgate, who have been included in the Leeds squad by David O'Leary.

Bowyer is ready to start following his decision to accept Leeds' punishment for breaking the club's code of conduct, resulting in the midfielder being taken off the transfer list.

Although acquitted last Friday on charges of affray and grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to an assault on student Sarfraz Najeib, Bowyer was still subject to internal discipline for being drunk on the night of the attack.

A hamstring injury has prevented Bowyer from playing during the last seven weeks.

Woodgate, found guilty of affray, has only made three appearances in the last 11 months due to the effects of the two trials, but is also in the squad, along with Alan Smith who returns from a three-match suspension.