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Houllier set to be Villa manager by weekend

SOCCER/FA PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS ROUND-UP: GERARD HOULLIER remains on course to be unveiled as Aston Villa’s new manager by the…

Tue Sept 07 2010 - 01:00

SOCCER/FA PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS ROUND-UP:GERARD HOULLIER remains on course to be unveiled as Aston Villa's new manager by the end of this week, by which time the uncertainly surrounding Kevin MacDonald's future should have cleared.

Although a deal with Houllier has been agreed, the Frenchman’s representatives are scrutinising the former Liverpool manager’s contract. Once the lawyers are happy, his appointment will be confirmed, with an announcement likely on Thursday.

Matters have been slowed by the doubts surrounding MacDonald’s new role. It is thought the caretaker manager may be reluctant to return to his former post as reserve-team manager.

Elsewhere, Chris Hughton is still hoping to sign an extension to his contract as Newcastle United manager this autumn but will not force the club’s hand. Hughton’s deal runs out next summer and there are suggestions talks over a new, improved agreement have stalled but the manager remains sanguine. “At the moment I’m just getting on with the job,” he said.

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Liverpool have been warned they could be without Dirk Kuyt for several weeks after he damaged a shoulder in training with the Netherlands yesterday. The 30-year-old was immediately ruled out of tonight’s European Championship qualifier at home to Finland. “He will probably have a few weeks off,” the Dutch manager, Bert van Marwijk, said.

Bebe has been included in Manchester United’s 25-man Champions League squad after all. It had been thought the 20-year-old Portuguese striker, plucked from obscurity for €8.9 million by Alex Ferguson this summer, had been omitted by United, who seemed to have named only 24 players for European duty. However the club said yesterday although they included Bebe’s name on the list they submitted to Uefa last week, a clerical error on the part of football’s European ruling body resulted in his name temporarily disappearing from the squad.

Everton’s attempt to claim a first league win of the season when Manchester United visit Goodison Park on Saturday could be hindered by injuries to Louis Saha and Jack Rodwell. Saha limped off 10 minutes into his comeback for France against Belarus in Paris on Friday with a knee problem and Rodwell suffered an ankle injury in the defeat at Aston Villa. Everton have yet to discover the extent of the injuries.